Welcome to Paradise
by elfinder
Summary: Kurt Hummel's life has been full of nothing but school work. But when Kurt encounters a group of students who ask him to be their model for a fashion show, he suddenly begins to question everything about himself and his life.
1. Chapter 1

Welcome to Paradise  
by elfinder 

Introduction

The path to Paradise – as one would imagine – was never so easy to find, or else anyone might stumble upon it by chance. In the case of one such oasis, no one ever did, for it was located deep within the downtown area of Chicago (commonly known as the Loop). Tucked behind a labyrinth of side streets and alleyways, any wayward soul who could possibly discover it usually just walked right on by – completely unaware of the wonders they had missed.

If someone were to stray off the beaten path though, they would first find what appeared to be an inconspicuous set of stairs. But as soon as they descended them, the ordinary was swiftly left behind, revealing brightly painted bricks walls. Sweet scents would fill the air as they neared the bottom, making it seem as if they were about to enter a foreign bazaar. Colourful butterflies were painted across the walls and with such realism that they looked ready to flutter off into the sky above. They would find a bright pink door at the foot of the stairs; a metal sign hung there, spelling out the words 'Paradis' (the French word for Paradise). More butterflies decorated both the sign and the surface of the door. Most days smooth jazz music would trail from behind the door but at other times it might be blaring rock tunes.

From the outside appearance of the building alone, most would expect the insides to be that of an exclusive bar. And while at first glance the space inside seemed to support that theory, various clues showed otherwise. The shelves of the bar were stacked not with alcoholic beverages but with almost every type of tea imaginable. Aside from the one pool table, nothing else in view fit in with a bar motif, but there were plenty of other things around. Three sewing machines were placed on various tables, as well as two dressforms, various sewing supplies and yard after yard of fabric tucked into every free nook and cranny.

They called it the Atelier (using the French word for workshop); it was their special sanctuary; a place that was theirs and theirs alone. Until one fateful encounter threw a lost soul right in the path of the building occupants, making him the first outsider to gain entrance into their private utopia.

Chapter One 

Kurt Hummel had never hated his hometown more than this moment; he hated its narrow streets, the air that was so thick with fog it was almost choking but most of all, he hated how crowded it always was. The ongoing foot-traffic flooded the sidewalk, as the packed together populace scurried around like roaches. Of course, part of Kurt's strong opinion against Chicago might have something to do with his current mood. That and how he tended to get over-dramatic whenever school exams neared.

The pressure Kurt was under was almost unbearable; he felt like he would actually be crushed under the weight of it all. He had to excel; there was no other option given to him. And he thought the strain he'd undergone back when he'd pushed himself to get accepted into his illustrious university had been rough. It hadn't taken Kurt long to realize that his struggles had only just begun and would become even more difficult as time went on. Heck, they had already and he was only in the second semester of his freshman year! The worst thing was that Kurt couldn't even hope to think that his life would get easier when (or rather, if) he graduated in four years. Knowing his parents, they would expect him to go straight from graduating with honours to landing a stuffy corporate job where he'd be just another drone carrying a briefcase.

Most days Kurt wasn't quite so cynical, nor was he as prone to wallowing in his own self misery, but even someone as seemingly strong as him had moments of self doubt. Kurt kept such thoughts to himself though, because he was just as private as he was strong willed. To sum him up, Kurt Hummel was a no nonsense type of guy who was all business and no pleasure – just as his parents had raised him to be. Though, in all fairness, both his mom and dad only had their son's best interest at heart.

No matter the strain upon him, Kurt would never let himself succumb to it-_never_. He would get through this, just like he always did, but until then Kurt was through with any niceties. Which explained why Kurt was stomping grumpily along, fighting his way through the sea of people, as if he were the very definition of rage.

"Out of my way! Let me through!"

No one made any effort to listen to Kurt's orders and he sighed in exasperation. It figured, because he was having just_ that_ bad of a day. He should have known better than to expect anything would go the way he wanted. Disheartened but not yet defeated, Kurt went back to skimming his test notes in-between his forward glances as he trod on ahead. He paid just enough attention around him so he wouldn't lose his step, so he didn't see the mohawk-wearing punk who had just passed him by. Nor did he notice when that same guy turned around to stare back at him.

"Hey, you, tall guy with the book!" the man called out suddenly, but Kurt was too preoccupied to hear him.

Unaware of the attention, Kurt went on with his business, so when a sketchy-looking man dressed in a vintage rock group t-shirt and jeans suddenly rushed up beside him, he was caught totally off guard.

"Hey, buddy! I'm talking to you," the punk said.

As a reflex, Kurt shrugged him off and left him standing there with his mouth open. Unfortunately, the guy didn't seem to take the hint and trailed after him. Kurt hurried his pace but it was no use, punk guy was fast, and he managed to grab onto Kurt's arm, forcing him to stop. He whirled around to face his would be attacker and scowled at him as formidably as he could muster. It didn't seem to be working; the guy just kept staring at him. Kurt's face turned red as the colour rose to his cheeks; what he hoped looked like anger was really him feeling very self conscious.

"Would you just lay off! Whatever you want, I'm not interested," Kurt barked.

For some unknown reason, the punk, who didn't seem the least bit intimidated by Kurt's rejection, chuckled at him lightly. "Chill out dude, I don't want into your pants; I just wanna a good look at you."

Kurt frowned at the conflicting words; why look at him so intently if he wasn't interested in him in_ that_ way then? Kurt was so confused that he fell silent, letting the taller man take a good long look at him just like he wanted. Kurt did the same, because he was right there in front of him and he couldn't help it. He wasn't nearly as sketchy as Kurt had originally thought, and one might even call him handsome - though not Kurt, not with that stupid mohawk going on.

The man was staring intently at Kurt's face and Kurt fought the urge to wrap his arms across his chest, as if doing so could protect him from the man's intrusive gaze somehow. Kurt wasn't used to this – at all; people usually didn't gave him the time of day! Whatever the punk's intentions were, Kurt felt threatened, and he believed he had good reason to because of a secret he'd kept hidden for the better part of his young life. Did he know? Could he tell? Kurt's head was swimming but he did nothing, too afraid that any response he made might give it away.

The punk either didn't notice Kurt's aversion to his scrutiny or simply didn't care as he began to circle him around. "It's weird, you're barely shorter than me but you seem taller. I guess that's 'cause you send off this high and mighty vibe. Sure are pretty though, for a guy I mean. Like, for real; yeah... you've got the image we're looking for... it's crazy!"

That did it; Kurt's patience had just run out; he pushed him aside to make a hasty escape. "Oh,_ trust me_, I'm not what you want, okay," Kurt said, hurrying away.

"Wait a minute!" the guy shouted as he raced after Kurt but it was no use, he had too much of a head start. He raced after Kurt anyway, albeit hopelessly, and just as he was about to give up his eyes perked up for some reason. "Yo! Unique!" he yelled.

A woman in the crowd turned her head at the sound of her name and narrowed her eyes at punk dude, though she seemed familiar enough to smile at him quizzically. "What?"

"Nab that guy!" the punk said, pointing at Kurt, who was almost within her reach.

Kurt was too focused on getting away from the threat behind him that he'd left his front foolishly vulnerable for interception. Though to Kurt's credit, how was he to know that the bombshell African American woman wearing a black dress would be in cahoots with mohawk guy.

"Why should I resort to kidnapping for you, Puck? Unique is nobody's hit woman."

"Look at him! He's just what the boss is looking for," Puck said in a desperate attempt to get her on board.

All it took was her looking Kurt's way for him to freeze in place. That was it then, he was done for. What was happening to him? After years of slipping under the radar, why now of all times was Kurt being chased after what he could only assume was a weird fetish gang.

"Now will you look at that; he sure is." The woman flashed Kurt a sympathetic look. "Sorry gorgeous, but you're about to be snatched."

Kurt had no time to react – regardless of her warning – as the woman grabbed hard onto his arm. The sudden shock was enough to send Kurt over the edge, or maybe it was the fact that he was stressed out from studying and had skipped lunch that day. Whatever the reason, Kurt's eyes rolled up into his head and he fainted on the spot. The woman just managed to catch him before his limp body could hit the ground.

Puck finally caught up to them and his eyes widened at the sight of the fallen young man in Unique's arms. "What the hell Unique? I said catch him not knock him out!"

Unique rolled her eyes at him. "I didn't do anything, Puck. The guy passed out on his own."

"Is he okay?" His concern sounded genuine; despite his rebellious appearance.

"I can't tell out here. We need to get him off the streets."

"And go where?"

Unique struggled to get a better hold on the boy before they both toppled over together. "We'll take him to the Atelier."

Puck sighed at first but nodded soon afterwards. "Fine!"

Between the both of them, they managed to balance pretty boy well enough to head down the sidewalk together. It wasn't easy as Unique and Puck attempted to nonchalantly make their way through the crowd, and people noticed the spectacle of course.

When Puck caught one guy's lingering glance he said, "Some guys don't know their limit huh?" The excuse may have been believable if it wasn't four in the afternoon but they didn't stick around to make a better one.

"I don't wanna take the test," mumbled Kurt in his sleep.

_

Kurt strained to opened his heavy eyelids; had he fallen asleep at his desk again? His life was so boring that he couldn't think of any better reason. When he finally managed to open his eyes his vision was attacked with vibrant colour. Pink. So much rouge that it hurt Kurt's eyes. He shut them immediately, hoping he was delirious with fatigue.

"Hey, look who's coming around finally," a voice Kurt couldn't fully make out said.

"Are you okay?" asked a second person, who was probably the girl in pink.

It took a couple blinks for Kurt's watering eyes to focus, and to his disappointment the images in front of him didn't fade away. This realization brought his memories flooding back to him; the last he recalled he'd been captured by some fierce looking woman. "Oh no, please tell me I'm just having a lucid dream and this isn't really happening to me..."

The girl in pink turned to look at Puck and scowled at him. "What did you two do to him?"

"Nothing babe, I swear! He passed out before we could explain anything to him!" Puck said quickly! "No thanks to Unique over here..."

Unique snorted from her spot behind the bar. "You were the one running after him like a crazy maniac Puck, not me." She joined pretty in pink, who was crouched in front of the chaise lounge that Kurt was lying on. "Sorry honey..." When her apology produced nothing from Kurt, she added, "I know you have no reason to trust us but I swear you're not in any danger."

Kurt forced himself to sit up. "_Sorry_, but I find little reason to believe you," he said icily.

Amazingly, the woman just smiled at him, as did the girl in pink beside her. "My name's Unique... here," she said, pushing a floral print mug into Kurt's hand before he could protest. "Drink the tea Hon, it should relax you a bit."

Kurt eyed the liquid warily; he doubted it was drugged so he gingerly sipped at it. A dreamy expression spread across his face after drinking what tasted like pure heaven. "Wow, this is good," he nearly purred, going back for more.

"I know my tea, huh?" Unique said.

Now that Kurt had avoided having a panic attack – something he was prone to do in times of heavy stress – he wanted answers. "Would someone please tell me what's going on?"

"Oh, you poor thing," the girl in pink cooed and she actually hugged Kurt, who went dead still from the sudden contact. "No wonder you're scared; you don't know anything!"

Kurt squirmed in her arms; he wasn't used to people invading his personal spade like this. Luckily she pulled back before he needed to forcibly push her away.

"Let me explain it all to you. I'm Sugar, and that's Puck sitting over there..." she gestured to the punk from earlier and then to the woman at her side. "And this is Unique of course."

"Where are we?" Kurt asked.

"You're in the Atelier," Sugar answered straight away.

Kurt nearly choked on his mouthful of tea; the word sounded familiar (it had to be French) but he couldn't quite place it. "Come again?"

"It's what we call this place, Atelier, it's the French word for workshop, sounds more romantic doesn't it?" Unique said.

If Unique was expecting a legitimate reply from him then Kurt wasn't about to comply. "That still doesn't tell me where we are... or why I'm even here."

"We're looking for a model for our school's fashion show. Our team leader cooked up this crazy mental imagine in his head and we haven't found anyone who fits it so far. Sorry for freaking you out back there but I didn't think I'd see that exact person pass me by on the street," Puck explained.

"Why not look for someone in your own school?" Kurt countered.

"We tried that but no one was good enough for him!" Puck said.

"We don't go to your average college sweetheart, ever heard of the 'School of the Art Institute of Chicago'?" asked Unique.

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Who hasn't." It was hard not to when he lived in the same area where the famous art school was located.

"We're all freshmen in the fashion design program," Sugar explained.

Kurt eyed Puck; at first glance he didn't look the part though Kurt had to admit his outfit (while nothing special) worked for his over all edgy look. "Even you?"

"What? A straight guy like me can't dress good?" Puck asked, almost mockingly.

"Don't let him fool you, Puck puts more effort into his clothes than you would think," Unique said.

"Every March our school puts on a big festival and the main event is the fashion show. It's a huge deal. We've been looking for the perfect model for weeks and like Puck and Unique have said, you're totally it!" Sugar explained.

"I'd better text him the good news," Unique said as she brought out her phone.

"Hold up!" Kurt snapped as he rose from the lounge, but an onslaught of dizziness sent him back down again. "Who said I was taking the job?"

"You mean you're not?" Sugar's childish pout was bad enough but then she reached for Kurt's arm.

"Of course I'm not!" Kurt snapped, yanking his arm away from her. "I have more important things to do, like keeping up my high grade point average, than play dress up with you!"

"What what school do you go to? Gay Hogwarts or something?" Puck asked sarcastically.

The less than curt (and original) remark made Kurt grow especially snarky. "One that has a very heavy work load. In fact, I should be studying at this very moment. I was on my way to an extra credit class when you kidnapped me," Kurt said.

"We're not holding you against your will," Unique pointed out before taking another drink of her tea.

Too bad Kurt wasn't feeling very reasonable. "Good, because I have a lot on my plate right now as it is. I don't have time to fool around," he muttered begrudgingly as he searched for the exit.

Just as Kurt was making his way to the front door, Puck stood up to block his path. "Hold on a second there bud; do you think you're better than us or something?"

"Puck," Sugar said in warning.

"Who cares what I think," Kurt said. "All you need to do is leave me alone and let me go!"

For a split second Kurt thought that Puck would react like the countless other bullies he'd faced before but he surprisingly held his ground – and his tongue – and just glared at him indifferently. "Whatever; Have it your way then and leave." He seemed bent on ignoring Kurt as he stormed off but then he went and added, "But before you go, you might wanna learn to respect people more, or else you could get hurt next time."

"I don't need your advice," Kurt said.

Unaffected, Puck shrugged at him. "Hey, it's your funeral, princess."

Upon being referred to as a princess, Kurt went dead still as all colour drained from his face. His hands shook as he balled them into fists but he didn't lift them. It didn't matter that Puck had no idea what he had just done, the insult still cut him deeply. Over the years Kurt had grown increasingly insecure about his effeminate looking face; he had been teased ruthlessly because of it.

"How dare you," Kurt hissed under his breath, visibly shaking from the strain to hold himself together. "What give you the right to call me..._ that_!"

"Puck didn't mean to-" Sugar said but she was cut off by Kurt's angry glare.

"To what? Use a female pronoun as an insult to cut at my masculinity?" Kurt accused.

"Sugar's right, I didn't mean it like that at all," Puck said defensively.

"Save your apology for someone who gives a damn, because I am so gone!" Fuming, Kurt stormed off towards the door.

"Wait! Please don't go!" Sugar pleaded but it was no use, Kurt was out the door and slamming it behind him.

Puck shoved his hands in to his pockets but didn't go after him, nor did Unique, who merely shook her head before going back to the bar.

But unlike her friends, Sugar was stubborn enough to snap into action so she burst the door open to chase after him. He was already half way up the stairs when she finally caught sight of him and in her desperation she shouted the first thing that came into her head. "I'm sorry, Angel!"

Kurt, who had made it nearly to the top, collapsed onto the stairs with a start. His mouth hung open in surprise; he was so caught off guard by her calling him that he was at a loss for words. Any thought of making his escape was momentarily forgotten. "Angel?" Where had that even come from?

"I don't know your name... and you just looked so angelic when you were asleep on the couch," Sugar explained, smiling at him. "We're here every day after class, so please stop by whenever you want."

"You have got to be kidding me." Who did she think she was? As if Kurt would feel the least bit tempted to spend time with the likes of_ them_. Kurt turned his nose up at her and without another word raced up the remaining stars. He never looked back as he hurried along; where was he? Kurt brought out his phone to catch his bearings and used the GPS app to find the nearest main road.

Yet as he left that world behind, a creeping feeling of regret tugged in the back of his mind. He pushed it aside. The sooner he got away from here and back to his regular life the better. It was funny how a short while ago Kurt had done nothing but complain about that life, but now he wanted nothing more than to return to it.

_

Sugar picked herself back up as soon as Angel was out of sight and there seemed to be no hope of him returning. She sighed; disheartened that her attempts to reach him had failed. Time was running out; they needed to find a model before it was too late. That was part of the reason she'd tried so hard to win Angel over. Like a cherub sent from the heavens, he had descended upon them, right at the most crucial time. If only he had been willing to stay and hear them out.

No sooner than Sugar had closed the door, another figure began to descend the stairs but it wasn't Kurt. This young man was slightly taller, had lighter brown hair, pale green eyes and was dressed in a bold three piece suit ensemble. He had an air of confidence about him – shown with his cocky grin – that only someone who was comfortable in his skin could manage. The man stopped suddenly and glanced down at his feet to pick up something off the ground.

He held the item up and smiled. It was a wallet, and upon further investigation he deduced that it belonged to someone he didn't know. Curiosity quickly overruled any sense of etiquette he had learned and really, he'd have to peek inside to know who to return it to in the first place. The gentleman flipped it opened and his eyes soon fell upon a photo of a young man. "Not bad... not bad at all..."

Like a sure footed cat, the fancily dressed man opened the door and crept inside the room essentially unnoticed. He scanned the room to see that nothing there was out of the ordinary. Same old faces, same old story; how boring. "Damn, I was hoping he was in here still... but it looks as if he fled from our paradise."

"Sebastian!" Unique said with a start. "Quit popping out of no where like that; you're not a ghost."

"Oh look, our fearless leader finally decides to show himself. About fucking time," Puck grumbled.

Sugar had already come to greet him in her usually sweet way. "Welcome back Sebastian; did you have any luck at the fabric store?" He patted Sugar gently on the shoulder before he went to the bar to take the mug of tea Unique had just made for him. "Not in the least. We'll have to go deeper into the Loop on Sunday."

"Oh, come on! We're never gonna find anything good enough at this rate!" Puck loudly complained.

"Puck has a point Sebastian; we barely have enough time as it is," Unique said.

"I'd much rather hear all about this Kurt Hummel and how his wallet came to be outside our front door. It's uncanny but he is the exactly the type of model I hoped we would find." He grinned at the photo, as if it were alive and susceptible to him charms. "His bitch face is perfect for our image, don't you think?"

"So his name is Kurt? I just called him Angel in the spur of the moment," Sugar said to herself. "We did try to recruit him but... that didn't go so well."

"No thanks to Puck," Unique said.

"Why I am the bad guy here? He was the one who said we're just playing dress up!" Puck said angrily.

Sebastian put a stop to their potential squabble and was quickly filled in on what had happened concerning Kurt. In the meantime they set up a game of pool which they were now playing together as they chatted. "So the short of it is this; Puck managed to insult Kurt enough that he stormed off in a huff and got away. Really Noah, must you always be so temperamental all the time? I thought my charisma would have rubbed off on you by now."

Puck, who disliked anyone but Sugar calling him by his first name, gave Sebastian the finger. "Bite me, why don't you."

"As if I would lower my standards enough to do that. I'm sorry Puck but if you want me that badly then you'll need to work for it." The look on Puck's face, somewhere between hate and disbelief, was beyond priceless.

"In your dreams, Smythe," Puck threw back.

Sebastian simply rolled his eyes in response; already bored with their banter because Puck's heart wasn't really in it enough to make things interesting. Besides, Sebastian's mind was still on Kurt and that striking face of his. Even in photo form it had left quite the impression on him.

"Sebastian, we really need to find a model," Sugar said, changing the subject.

"We could always have Noah do it, that is, if he thinks he's up to the challenge. Though if he's willing to step out of his comfort zone then he might just pull it off," Sebastian said as he grinned enticingly at Puck.

Puck threw his hands up; horrified at the very idea. "No way in hell!"

"I'm available," Unique weighed in.

"Unfortunately Unique, you're too much women for what I have in mind." Sebastian keen eyes could see that she was blushing and he winked at her. Her smile broadened as she handed him the pool cue so he could take his turn. "Which makes it a real pity that you let angel boy go so easily; he was perfect." He took his shot and landed a ball in the right corner pocket and his reward was to gaze once more at Kurt's photo (Sugar was holding it now).

"I've got my eye on you, Sebastian," Puck threatened though he didn't sound all that convincing.

"You've got nothing to worry about Puck. Your girlfriend is beyond adorable but she's hardly my type, as you all well know."

Puck abandoned the game to go for his guitar case, swinging it over his shoulders easily and he headed for the door. "I'm off to band practice; don't wait up for me."

"Noah, wait! What should I do about Angel's wallet?" Sugar asked as she waved the item in question above her head.

"Who?" Puck asked in confusion.

"She means Kurt," Unique said.

"Don't waste your time with him Sugar, if he wants his wallet then he can come get it himself," Puck replied before taking his leave.

But Sugar couldn't just leave it like that, so she soon decided she had no choice but to do some snooping; something she had a talent for actually. Sugar took one of the cups of tea on the bar and since Sebastian and Unique's attention were on the game of pool still, she sat down to inspect Angel's wallet on her own. She figured if all she did was look for his contact info then that was okay. But the first thing that caught her eye was not Kurt's drivers license but another photo (that wasn't Kurt) and Sugar's eyes widened as she stared at his handsome profile. "No way... it can't be..." she whispered in disbelief.

_

It wasn't until the end of his extra credit class that Kurt realize his wallet was missing and he swore under his breath at the discovery. Kurt dropped the energy drink he'd just bought as he searched frantically but there was no sign of it! Kurt's breathing became heavy as he fought the panic rising inside him. No, he needed to calm down. Kurt leaned against a wall as he began to mentally retrace his steps. It was either here somewhere in the building, outside on the street or at that stupid studio he'd been taken to against his will. Knowing his luck it was probably the latter but he would leave that hellish place for the end.

If only there wasn't more to Kurt's rising anxiety than the fear of identity theft. He couldn't care less about someone getting the hands on his bank card or anything like that. There was something far more valuable to him hidden in his wallet, something he couldn't let anyone see. He knew that the likelihood of anyone who knew him finding his wallet wasn't very high but that didn't stop him from worrying still. It was hard not to when Kurt's most well guarded secret could be discovered at any minute.

"I never should have risked putting it there," Kurt whispered.

After all the silly one sided crushes Kurt had formed over the years, he really should have been content enough to longingly watch from afar like always. But no, Kurt just had to go and risk everything when he'd taken that silly photo and then he'd gone and kept it in his wallet! He had planned to store it safely at home but the risk of his parents finding it – no matter how slim – made him too restless. He should have thrown it away instead of tucking in inside his wallet. But because he hadn't, Kurt's most well kept secret was in risk of being exposed and for what? So Kurt could daydream what it would feel like if a boy were to actually return his feelings for once? Kurt wasn't one for labels, so words like 'in the closet' and 'coming out' had never entered his mind. Kurt knew he was gay and after years of doubt, he'd finally comes to terms and accepted it. But none of this mean that Kurt was even remotely close to telling anyone else yet; that day was still far off in the future.

Kurt went back to the classroom he'd just walked out of to see if his wallet could be there but there was no such luck. Time was of the essence here and yet Kurt wasn't in any state to run frantically about, so he sat down for a second. As soon as he regained his composure he would continue his search. Kurt planted his head against the surface of his desk; he felt as if he were a man awaiting death row.

Unbeknownst to Kurt, his strange antics had caught the attention of the very man he had sneakily photographed. A little on the short side but still classically handsome, the young man had soft brown eyes that Kurt often described as liquid chocolate. His hair was black and slicked down with gel but not enough so it tamed his waves completely.

"Hey there Kurt, um, is everything all right?" he asked.

Kurt pulled his head up to look at Blaine Anderson, his current crush, and despite his dire situation, he smiled back at him weakly. There was no wonder that Kurt had fallen for him so easily; Blaine was the whole package deal. Not only was he dashingly handsome, he was also kindhearted, talented and even when Kurt didn't know him very well (or at all really) there was something special about him – that put him above the rest. Too bad he was impossible to get near, thanks to his popularity, although Kurt doubted he would have the courage to approach him anyway. Besides, Blaine, like all of his past crushes, was straight.

"Oh, hi Blaine," Kurt sputtered. "I'm fine." He really wanted to hide under his desk so Blaine wouldn't be forced to watch his awkwardness.

"If you say so then," Blaine replied, apparently too polite to argue. "Professor Stetson's looking for you."

That explained why Blaine had approached him then and Kurt was actually relieved; he didn't think he could take anymore surprises right now. Kurt told Blaine his thanks and he stole one final glance as Blaine rejoined his friends. Kurt was forced to put his longing for Blaine aside when he entered Professor Stetson's office. It came to no surprise to Kurt that his reason for wanting to see him was so he could lecture Kurt about his dropping grades.

Didn't the old fossil realize that Kurt knew all of this already? Regardless of his personal opinion, Kurt offered his assurances that he would do all his power to bring them back up. He did care about his test results; it was all he'd been thinking about for the past few weeks. In reality his grades weren't that low, Kurt was just usually at the head of the pack among his fellow students. So the fact that he was beginning to slip, now at the start of the second term, was apparently something others were starting to notice.

Kurt doubted that anyone aside from his parents cared enough to offer any real help though, not that they could have anyway. No, this was Kurt's burden to bear alone and if he wanted to remain on top then he would have to work even harder from now on. He had to succeed at all costs, because he refused to become just another statistical failure. Kurt hated when people looked down upon him; it made him feel worthless, empty, like he was hollow inside. Had Kurt been fooling himself all this time? Was he simply in a rut or had he overestimated his ability and aimed too high?

This was getting him nowhere, Kurt realized; he needed to find his wallet. He'd never forgive himself if he were outed because of his inability to face his fears.

Kurt kept his eyes glued to the ground as he cleared the front entrance of his school outside, ignoring everything around him.

One young man, who was casually leaning against the stone outside wall of the building, seemed to take a personal interest in Kurt."Kurt Hummel, I presume?" he asked, just as Kurt passed him by.

Kurt's head snapped up when he heard the smooth sounding voice call his full name but he didn't recognize the man at all. He might not pay much attention to people but he would have remembered someone like him. He sped past the guy's obvious good looks for a moment to take note of his garish clothing. Anyone who dressed themselves in a full three piece suit in that bright a blue was just screaming for attention. "What do you want?" Kurt asked indifferently. Let that knock him down a peg or two; Kurt didn't like the smug way he was grinning at him.

"I dunno; you tell me," he answered.

"How do you know my name?" Kurt couldn't place it exactly but something about the vibrantly dressed man put him on edge. Maybe it was the possessive way he was gazing at Kurt; what was it with people ignoring boundaries? Just because the guy was good looking didn't give him permission to do what he pleased. As if he weren't intruding enough with that intense stare of his, the stylishly dressed young man advanced on Kurt, pushing right into his personal space.

"It's just as I though, you're even more gorgeous in person. Earth angel indeed," Mr. fancy pants said approvingly.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Can't you tell when a guy's trying to compliment you Kurt, or are you unaware of how hot you are? Seems unlikely to me, given the circumstances..."

In truth Kurt didn't know that what bullies had referred to as a 'pretty face' had matured over the last few years so that now few could dispute the man's claims.

"Sorry if I don't respond to that sort of thing," Kurt said sarcastically, not bothering to explain what he meant exactly.

"So what will you respond to then?"

"If not you're going to tell me how you know my name then I'm leaving. I'm not about to stick around so you can antagonize me or whatever the hell you're trying to do. Go find someone who's interested."

The young man watched Kurt go and he didn't seem the least bit concerned about his sudden departure. "Who says I haven't already."

That got a reaction from Kurt, though probably not the one the guy was hoping for. Kurt turned on his heels and stormed fearlessly over to his would be accuser. Kurt would be fine, just as long as he never acknowledged what the obvious attention whore was insinuating. At least that's what he told himself. "I don't like your tone."

The young man grinned at Kurt playfully; he seemed amused by his willingness to confront him or something. Then, before Kurt could pull away, he reached out to gently touch Kurt's bicep. Kurt froze from the contact but what had him really surprised was how he didn't feel threatened, in fact, as he looked into his green eyes, Kurt felt oddly captivated.

"You've got some impressive guns under here," he said, squeezing Kurt's arm lightly. "You shouldn't hide them under all this cheap fabric."

"You've got some nerve," Kurt hissed, yanking his arm away. He glared at smugface until he retreated to a safer distance, but it still wasn't far enough for Kurt's liking.

"Sorry. I just find you so hard to resist."

"Apology not accepted."

"I'm actually not trying to seduce you, in case you were wondering. Not that I don't think you're attractive, but closeted boys like you take way too long to get into bed for it to be worth my while."

Yet again Kurt refused to comment on the subject of his sexual orientation; robbing the guy of the satisfaction of knowing that his assumptions were, in fact, correct. "Who the hell do you think you are?"

"So many questions... but you're right, I should introduce myself. Seeing how I already know your name."

"Just cut to the chase and tell me who you are."

"Sebastian Smythe." He took a graceful bow in front of Kurt. "Beauty extraordinaire; in all things, be it fashion, nature..." He paused to flash Kurt a wide grin. "... or enticing young men."

Kurt was hardly impressed by his introduction, nor did his name ring a bell, unfortunately, so Kurt still had no idea why he knew his full name. "Okay_ Sebastian_, give me one good reason why I'd should stick around and you better make it quick."

"I'd put up with me for a bit yet if I were you, that is, if you want your wallet back."

"You're one of_ them_?" Kurt blurted.

Sebastian laughed, "If you're referring to my colleagues that you encountered earlier today, then yes, I am one of them. I guess in your desperation to leave the studio you dropped your wallet outside."

So Sebastian did in fact have something Kurt wanted; blast it all to hell! While Kurt would surely loathe finding out what it would take to get it back, Sebastian was right, he had little choice but to remain now. That didn't mean that Kurt was going to bend to his will though. A plan quickly formed in Kurt's mind; time to change tactics and give reverse psychology a try.

Kurt's hardened expression seamlessly melted into an appreciative smile. "And you came all this way to return it to me? How kind of you."

"Who said that's what I'm doing? Maybe I just wanted see for myself if you were anything like what my friends described. You may be more sexy in the flesh but I've still seen better. Heck, I've had better. But as I said before, guys who refuse to come out aren't my type; hiding is not my style."

_'No surprise there,'_ Kurt thought dryly. "Maybe you should lower your expectations."

"So you are interested then? You must be more desperate to get your wallet back than I thought."

"I'm not suggesting anything like_ that_!"

"Like what?"

Kurt sighed heavily; this was so endless. "Just forget it."

"On second thought Kurt, I don't think you're what I'm looking for in all; not in a model or a sex partner. I thought you had the potential but if it all it takes is being called princess to make you turn tail and run, I can see now that you wouldn't be a good fit after all."

"You don't know anything about me_ Sebastian_, so you have no right to judge me. I don't want to be your model. My only interest concerning you is getting my wallet back and that's it."

"If you want it so back so badly then why don't you just come and get it," Sebastian said, walking over to the red convertible that was parked on the sidewalk a short distance away.

Kurt didn't have time for this, he needed to get home before his mother went AWOL on him for missing dinner. But surely saving his wallet from Sebastian's evil clutches would be a reasonable excuse, though he had no plans to tell her the full story. Kurt eyed Sebastian as he leaned against the side of the car; there he went undressing Kurt with his eyes again. But why was his heart beating so fast? He should be offended by the attention; not excited!

"Get real," Kurt scoffed.

Sebastian placed his sunglasses over his eyes. "Trust me Kurt, I'm as about as real as one can get, but you on the other hand, are so fake it's off putting. Aren't you tired of the whole charade? Day in day out; lying to yourself and the whole world."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I know denial when I hear it Kurt, so don't try to fool me; my gaydar is never wrong. You should spare yourself the grief and come out already."

Panic struck, Kurt whirled his head around to make sure no one within earshot was paying any attention to them. He had half a mind to lie and say that Sebastian couldn't be more wrong on the off chance someone had heard him but he couldn't bring himself to do it. "Will you shut up! What if someone heard you!"

"That is the idea," Sebastian said. "Except no one seems to care enough to listen."

"Give me back my wallet or so help me..." But Kurt's threat fell apart before he could finish; he wasn't able to consider raising a hand to anyone, no matter how angry he felt.

Sebastian seemed to know this as well. "Or what? You'll bitch about it even more?"

"You take that back!"

"And why would I do that? So I called you a bitch, why is that any different than using the word whine? I didn't call you a female pronoun to make any certain point, if that's what you're thinking. Why should beauty like yours have to be seen as a bad thing? I can't stand single minded people who can't see anything past their their own backward thinking opinions."

Many of the names Kurt had been called over the years included female pronouns: Lady Face, Woman Hummel, Senorita Kurtsie, and those weren't even some of the worst ones (he couldn't forget those obscenities quickly enough) Every one of _those_ hurtful jabs had cut into Kurt's emotional walls, making him susceptible to the hate he'd faced, sometimes on a daily basis.

"Any word can be used a weapon; if there's a enough hate behind it," Kurt said.

"A valid point, but it's also equally true that if you take those labels and make them your own, then those insults can't hold any power over you."

Kurt had a sudden revelation; one he could barely believe but there was no denying the nature of Sebastian's permanent smirk. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"I'd enjoy it better if you put more effort into your comebacks, Kurt."

Kurt sighed, "I'm never going to see my wallet again, am I?"

"I already told you how you can get it back," Sebastian said.

"It's back at the studio isn't it?" Kurt refused to call it the Atelier.

"There's only one way to find out for sure." Sebastian opened the passenger door to his car and gestured for him to climb inside.

For the first time is Kurt's boring life, he found himself daring to do something that was not only unpredictable but possibly reckless. Then again, Sebastian could turn out to be nothing to worry about and all that would happen was a short drive to the studio to fetch his wallet. Sebastian was a stranger, and yet he couldn't shake the feeling of being drawn to him for some reason. Maybe that was because he was unlike anyone Kurt had encountered before. Should he take the chance and go for it? If he were to take the safer path would he live to regret it? He knew what lay ahead for him there; the same old mundane existence he'd been living for the past nineteen years.

"I'm not going to do anything to you," Sebastian said. "Come on Kurt, live a little."

Oh screw it all; Kurt had only one life to live and just this once, he wasn't going to remain on the path his parents had laid out for him. Before he could form any second doubts, Kurt piled into Sebastian's convertible and closed the door behind him. "I can't believe I'm doing this," Kurt muttered under his breath.

Sebastian smiled at Kurt charmingly as he got into the driver's seat. He started the ignition, checked his rear view mirror for traffic and pulled out from the curb. "That's more like it."

"Please stop talking and drive... just drive... before I regret this," Kurt begged.

Sebastian laughed, "It's probably too late for that already. Try to relax, okay? After all, it's not every day that someone like you gets to find paradise twice in one day."

_

Any trepidation Kurt had at the start of his journey ended up being for nothing; aside from Sebastian's constant flirtatious glances, nothing much had happened. Now that their drive together had come to an end, Kurt had no choice but to follow Sebastian down the very same stairs he'd run up less than three hours ago.

Sebastian didn't seem to have the care in the world; his hands were in his pockets and he was whistling merrily to himself. Kurt willed himself to remain silent this time, refusing to let Sebastian push his buttons again. In wasn't easy for Kurt to project such a calm state of mind when on the inside he was a bundle of nerves. He didn't even know what he was nervous about; Sebastian wasn't doing anything to put him on edge, so why couldn't Kurt get him out of his mind?

When they both reached the bottom of the stairs, Sebastian stepped up to the door, turned to face Kurt, smiled at him and actually bowed. "Kurt Hummel, welcome, to paradise," he said.

"The door says Paradis," Kurt said flatly.

Sebastian chuckled at him playfully as he leaned his back against the door. His eyes never left Kurt's face during the movement, they were fixated upon him, ever watching. Kurt shuddered lightly in response; his heart was beating so fast. What was going on?

Sebastian leaned forward and placed a hand on Kurt's shoulder; Kurt felt the other man's warm breath tickling his neck. Kurt gulped. Sebastian brought his mouth up to Kurt's ear and whispered, "Who says I meant what's behind the door."

Kurt slipped out of Sebastian's light embrace and scurried away to a safer distance. When Sebastian was so close Kurt was unable to hide his naivety about sexual desire. Paradise indeed; talk about conceit. It would take more than a seductive pair of green eyes for Kurt's virtue to be sullied.

"Quit trying to make a move on me," Kurt said.

"Stop lying to yourself and then I won't need to," Sebastian playfully replied.

Kurt rolled his eyes; Sebastian was like a living comeback machine. "Can we just get this over with, and by_ this_, I mean getting my wallet back."

"Is it my fault that you keep sending me mixed signals?"

Sebastian stepped to the side and away from the door. Kurt hesitated for a moment; he wasn't sure he trusted Sebastian enough to come within his reach again.

"What are you so afraid of? You've been here before," Sebastian said.

_'Not like this; not with you,'_ Kurt thought.

"Guess I should spell it out for you, to make this easier; you're gay Kurt, you don't need to deny it. It's nothing to be ashamed of. Don't let the haters win," Sebastian coaxed.

To prove that he wasn't as fearful as Sebastian thought, Kurt stepped right up to look him straight in the eye. "Stop telling me what to do. You're just like everyone else; I'm so sick of people pushing their own wants and desires on me. Am I supposed to be grateful or something? Well let me tell you something then; you're wasting your time. I'm here for my wallet, nothing more – nothing less. That's the only thing I want from you and nothing you can say..." Kurt faltered when Sebastian's thumb ran over his bottom lip, but he recovered and swatted the hand away. "... or do that could sway me."

Since Kurt was bent on resisting Sebastian's affection, the young playboy seemed to accept that it was time to back down. He replaced his seductive grin to one of mild amusement. _'Let him smile all he wants,'_ Kurt thought; whatever Sebastian's game was, he wasn't about to play along.

"By all means then," Sebastian said finally, giving way so Kurt could open the door himself. "Go right ahead and take back what you want on your own."

Kurt walked past Sebastian, not giving him so much as a glance as he opened the door. The scene inside didn't appear any different from when Kurt had been there earlier. Except this time he wasn't in a rush to leave, so he noticed things he hadn't before. The space actually looked very swanky, much like a high end club, though Kurt would never admit it to anyone – Sebastian most of all.

"Look who I ran into," Sebastian announced from his spot close behind Kurt.

Three heads turned to look at Kurt and Sebastian, and each one had a different reaction to see them standing there: Unique smiled at Kurt, Puck just gave a fleeting glance before going back to tuning his guitar and as for Sugar, she beamed at him merrily, tackling Kurt with a fierce hug.

"Angel! You came back!" Sugar shouted.

Kurt's ears were ringing from hearing her high pitched squeals at such a close proximity. "You people are way too touchy-feely for your own good," he said as he pushed Sugar off.

Puck let out a loud belch before he crushed the now empty can of cola onto the bar counter; Unique rolled her eyes at him and threw it into the appropriate trash bin.

"I gotta hand it to you, Seb, I didn't think you'd be able to change prissy boy's mind so easily," Puck said.

"I did. Sebastian can be very persuasive when he bothers to try for real," Unique announced.

Sugar bounced up and down excitedly at the news. "You mean he's going to be our model after all! That's awesome! Good job, Sebby!"

How could this be happening again? This lot really needed to pay attention to something besides the sound of their own voices. Before a full blown party could break out, because Puck had already ducked behind the bar and brought out what seemed to be a secret stash of booze, Kurt needed to shut the festivities down. "I didn't say yes! I'm only here for my wallet; where is it?"

"Oh, I gave it to Sebastian," Sugar said.

Kurt turned to face Sebastian and jabbed his figure at his face accusingly. "You! You... narcissistic playboy! You had my wallet this whole time and yet you had the nerve to drag me all the way here still!"

"Hey, you were the one who got into my car. Don't blame me if you never asked me where your wallet actually was," Sebastian said.

"I can't believe it!" Kurt sputtered.

Sebastian didn't stick around to watch Kurt began to pace back and forth, instead ducking into a nearby closet and returning a few minutes later with a dark green garment draped over his arm. "Sugar, please be a dear and take our guest to the dressing room so he can change into this," he asked, handing the clothes over for her to take hold of.

Sugar saluted Sebastian and said, "You can count on me chief." She then skipped over to Kurt and pushed him towards the correct room before he could realize what was even going on. "Come on Angel, you can change in here."

"But I don't-" Kurt argued but it was too little too late, for he was gently shoved into the restroom.

The next he knew, Kurt found himself in the studio's bathroom and to his utter horror, Sugar followed after him and closed the door behind her.

"Now that we have some privacy... here; you'll look totally hot in this, Angel," Sugar said as handed him the outfit.

Kurt barely knew how to react, to this or anything else he'd gone through that day. But there was one thing he was sure about and he had no problem telling it to Sugar. "I'm not getting changed in front of you!"

"I promise not to peek; you might not find girls sexy but I swear I'll be good," Sugar told him sweetly.

Kurt backed himself up until he hit the wall of the bathroom. "I'm not gay." He'd said it so suddenly that he hadn't been able to stop himself. Kurt had never lied about his sexual orientation before and he didn't like how wrong it felt.

"You don't need to hide it Angel; liking guys isn't wrong. You were born that way, it's who you are."

"Wrong! That's not me at all!" Kurt snapped. "What I'm supposed to be is home for dinner and not be in a bathroom with a girl who is trying to get me to wear this!" Kurt threw the clothes onto the floor; he was so angry he didn't even care if he wasn't making any sense. _'I should be studying right now... what am I even doing here,'_ he thought with alarm.

Sugar smiled at Kurt as she crouched down to pick the clothes back up. "Maybe doing something as simple as putting on a new outfit will be a first step for you. You wouldn't believe how much confidence looking good can give a person. Won't you give a try Angel? It's just one suit; what have you got to lose?" she asked.

_'My identity, my sense of direction: myself.'_ All of these things meant so much to Kurt but when he stopped to think about it, he realized that he had none of them. Kurt didn't know who he was, he didn't know where to go – others had always guided him everywhere – and as for his personal identity, there was nothing he could think of to describe it. Kurt was like a blank slate, empty and lacking any sort of originality.

Kurt stared at the green suit in Sugar's hands and he felt a glimmer of something (hope perhaps) stir inside him. This new part of Kurt pushed past the doubt weighing down on him and took hold of the outfit. He stared at Sugar, until she finally caught on that he was waiting for her to turn around, and after one final glance to make sure that she couldn't seem him, he finally started to undress.

Kurt threw his fading grey sweater over his head, took off his white t-shirt underneath, and unzipped the fly of his pants. He felt very exposed in that moment and it didn't matter if Sugar wasn't looking at him or not. Kurt felt as if he was shedding his subdued exterior to replace it with something bright and colourful. He ignored his reflection as he redressed himself in the suit Sebastian had chosen for him; what if he looked as awkward as he felt?

"You can look now, I'm done," Kurt said weakly.

His original idea was to use Sugar's reaction (rather than see for himself) to gauge how his appearance fared. But he was unprepared by the sheer magnitude that Sugar responded with; her eyes widened in absolute wonder and she grinned at him from ear to ear. Spellbound, Sugar continued to gape at him and Kurt's heart started to race again. Just the fact that he could cause such a reaction in anyone - male or female - was earth shaking. But regardless, he still didn't feel any less self conscious.

"Do I look all right to you?" he asked, fingering the collar of his shirt nervously. Kurt couldn't remember the last time he'd worn a suit.

"All right? Angel, you look amazing! I can barely believe my own eyes!"

"Are you sure you're not just saying that? Because I sure don't feel amazing."

Sugar touched Kurt's shoulders and turned him so they were both facing the mirror. "If you don't believe me then why don't you see it for yourself, Angel."

When Kurt looked at his reflection he didn't recognize the man he saw standing there before him. Was this how other people saw him? Forget about the others, Kurt thought, because he was totally floored by his appearance! He had no idea changing his outfit could make him look so different! The suit was a deep forest green in colour, as was the matching waistcoat underneath, while his pants, which were a far more slim fit that he was used to, were the same green and the vibrant hue somehow made Kurt's blue eyes pop and sparkle.

On closer inspection, Kurt realized that the fabric of the jacket wasn't even a solid green; there was a textured design cascading down the shoulders that bled and faded into a light gradient at the waistline. The tie he'd struggled to put on correctly was a slightly lighter similar print but it was a more bluish-green. If Kurt had seen the outfit in a store on in a magazine he would of called it unnecessarily flashy. But when he was the one wearing it, there was no denying that the suit complemented Kurt completely – straight from head to toe.

"You're so pretty, Angel," Sugar said.

It was the first time Kurt had been compliment on his apparent beauty where he didn't feel ashamed. He blushed at hearing Sugar's praise, as if he still couldn't believe it yet himself. He posed in front of the mirror in attempts to find himself in his reflection. His hair had been ruffled by having to change so suddenly but it actually worked with his new look.

"Who are you," Kurt whispered, more to his reflection than to Sugar.

She chose to answer him anyway though. "You're you, the same person you've always been. Do you like what you see, Angel?"

The handsome face in front of him smiled bashfully, humbled but still too unsure of his own opinion to cast a vote just yet._ 'Could this place really be paradise?'_ Hesitation washed through Kurt; he might look good but that was because of the clothes and not him. Once they came off then the usually drab Kurt Hummel would undoubtedly return. Or would he? Maybe, just maybe, Kurt's new boost of confidence wouldn't leave him. He wanted to keep this new sense of recognition but everything in his mind told him not to trust these feelings.

"I dunno. I don't think I know who I am really," Kurt admitted.

Sugar didn't seem to find anything wrong with Kurt's declaration, and she placed a support hand on his arm and squeezed it lightly. "Come on, the others need to see how good you look in our clothes."

"Your clothes? You mean you guys made this suit?"

Sugar nodded. "Yes, the four of us have formed a design team; we make our own brand of clothes and everything. We even have a brand name: Paradis Bise – that's French for Paradise Kiss. Everyone at our school in the fashion design programs wears their own clothes; it's a way to showcase our talent," Sugar proudly explained.

Kurt tore his attention away from his own state of dress so he could study Sugar's outfit. It sure looked extremely well made to him - and cute. Her dress was a mix of pale and hot pink, and it was decorated with flowers and what appeared to be tiny jewels. "You made that dress yourself?"

"No not this one." Sugar's smile fell a little. "My auntie Izzie made this; she's the designer in the family, not me. I went to SAIC because she did too. I want to be just like her one day and make really cute clothes. But I'm no good, I can't come up with my own designs, whenever I try all I do is copy her style." She proudly twirled in front of Kurt to show off the dress anyway though.

"Hey, what I'm wearing right now is pretty impressive," Kurt said.

"That's because Sebastian was the one who designed it. We all have our roles when it comes to making clothes for our brand: Sebastian does the designs, Unique makes the patterns and then Puck and I sew the pieces. I don't mind doing the grunt work either; I'm just happy I get to be a part of something great and being able to help make such wonderful clothes."

Kurt had no idea how much time, effort and love had been put into their 'playing dressup' as he had so ignorantly put it. Kurt felt guilty and he saw now that he'd had no right to judge them. "This fashion show you're all in means a lot to you guys, doesn't it?" Kurt asked.

Sugar nodded. "It's not just the show either; there's a lot of competition going on between the top design students. Each team has a leader, or head runner as Sebastian likes to call himself, and it's their job to form a solid group."

"This is serious business then," Kurt said.

"That's why we decided to start our own clothing brand. We realized that we like working together, so this way, we still can when the competition is over. We hope to sell our clothes to high end boutiques all over town, maybe even the whole world someday. But before that, we naturally want to win first place at the fashion show so that's our current goal."

That explained why they'd approached a complete stranger to be their model. Kurt might feel more sympathetic to the group now but at the same time he suddenly felt inferior to them. Kurt didn't shy away when Sugar took him by the hand to lead him out of the bathroom. His lingering nerves spiked up again at the thought of the others seeing him dressed like this, but he took it in stride. At least he did as best as he could manage – which wasn't very much.

Sugar skipped alongside Kurt and stepped away when they neared the others so he could take centre stage. "Sorry for the wait but as you can see, it was well worth it. May I present to you all: Angel."

But Kurt didn't feel very heavenly; in fact if he were to put his current state into words they would be along the lines of awkward and nervous. He had never thought very much about clothes before; as long as they were clean then that was good enough for him. But now, as he watched the awed faces in front of him, Kurt was hit with a sudden revelation. Something had possibly awoken in Kurt, a part of himself he hadn't known had even existed. Wasn't there that old saying, what was it, something like 'clothes make the man'? But the question was, what kind of man did Kurt want to be? The answer came rushing back at him: he wanted to be daring, different and most of all: proud of his own individuality.

It was then – after Kurt brought his thoughts back to the present - that he finally noticed how Sebastian was gazing at him. Such attention would have unnerved him before, but as their eyes met Kurt saw that his expression wasn't that of sexual hunger, but something different (personal longing perhaps?) That hardly seemed possible to Kurt, because who in their right mind would envy him?

Sebastian stepped forward and smiled at Kurt charmingly. "You look stunning Kurt, beautiful; like a prince."

Kurt blushed. It didn't matter if Sebastian meant it or not, Kurt still chose to take those words and make them his own. Yes it was true; Kurt Hummel was beautiful and for the first time in his life (okay second if he counted earlier before with Sugar) there was no familiar rush of shame to follow. Kurt finally knew that embracing his own beauty should make him feel empowered, and not ashamed.

He shyly glanced at Sebastian, saw the warm smile on his face, and in a true act of sassy defiance he confidently replied, "Merci."


	2. Chapter 2

Notes: This story will be updated bi-weekly on Wednesday from this point on. Hopefully the longer chapters will make the wait easier.

Chapter Two

Kurt had no way of knowing, but he wasn't the only one going through an earth shifting experience. Sebastian was utterly captivated. There was something hauntingly beautiful about witnessing the exact moment when someone found their true self. Though it was more like Kurt was getting a small taste of the man he could become one day. He was so fragile; all it would take was one cruel remark and Kurt would revert back to hiding himself from the world. What surprised Sebastian was how he had no desire to do anything such thing. Sure Sebastian rarely held his tongue but Kurt was different somehow; he was the real deal.

Kurt obviously wasn't ready to fully embrace this new side of himself just yet. Which was a pity, because a more confident Kurt was someone Sebastian would have wanted to pursue, but he couldn't feel that way about the closeted virgin that Kurt so obviously was. Kurt might not be ready for a sexual relationship, but if Sebastian played his cards right he still could become their model for the show. It floored him even now that Kurt was almost the perfect personification of what he'd originally pictured in his mind. It was as if Sebastian had brought his vision to life in the form of Kurt and it was his destiny to wear his design. Kurt was the perfect blend of masculine and feminine. If he could harness his raw sexuality and combine it with an air of superiority, then he could become a true work of art.

It was hard to believe that such an individual rested inside Kurt – at least at first – but now, when Kurt was dressed in their brand, Sebastian could see it. Yes Kurt could become that man, and maybe with Sebastian's help, he would come to understand that potential for himself – and finally accept it.

"So, how do you feel?" asked Sebastian, whose eyes had never left Kurt, not even during his silent speculations.

"Um, I don't really know yet... everything's happening so fast," Kurt said, fidgeting nervously.

"I'm glad to see that suits fits you to a tee, Kurt," Sebastian told him.

"It's crazy how good of a fit is is Sebastian, it looks better on him than when you last wore it," Unique said impressed.

Sebastian remained silent as each of his friends made their comments. Bit by bit, Kurt's unease was chipped away to reveal a part of himself that Sebastian guessed people rarely saw.

"Should I take Angel's measurements next, Sebastian?" Sugar asked a short while later.

Once again Sebastian's eyes fell upon Kurt, who hadn't spoken a word of protest despite how he hadn't agreed to anything yet. "Aren't you getting ahead of us here, Sugar? To use his exact words; Kurt only came back to get his wallet..." He brought out the said item and held it out in front of Kurt enticingly. "Am I right?"

The hesitation on Kurt's unsure face was crystal clear; and yet he seemed totally unaware of the fact himself. Sebastian was very tempted to make it known but for some odd reason he couldn't follow through.

"Or have things changed for you, Kurt?" Sebastian asked.

Kurt's eyes darted from side to side. "I—" What could he even say? "I don't know," he finally admitted.

Sebastian shrugged at him; seemingly unaffected by Kurt's vague answer. "Then don't try to answer us now, wait for three days, but that's all we can give you so you better use them wisely."

Three days sounded like a while but in reality it wasn't that long at all. But Kurt supposed he would just have to take what he could get. Anything was better than having to face the difficult decision right now, when he was so confused that he couldn't make sense of anything, let alone his own personal wishes.

"Right, okay. Thank you," Kurt said as he took his wallet from Sebastian.

Now that Kurt had his wallet back, there was nothing left for Kurt to do but change back into his normal clothes so he could leave. He slowly made his way to the bathroom, alone and redressed himself in his original outfit. Kurt could barely look at himself in the mirror and the second he did, he instantly came to regret it. He looked wrong somehow, so out of place but that didn't make any sense. This was just his thoughts running away with him, yes that was it; he was too emotionally wound up to know what he was truly feeling. As soon as he returned home and the moment passed, everything would fall back into place.

Kurt stepped back out to find that the others hadn't waited for him, but were again spread about the studio doing their own thing. His eyes instantly sought out Sebastian, who was sitting casually at the bar, looking dangerously sexy in the dim lighting. Kurt started towards him, but as he neared the words he'd planned to idly say got caught in his throat. Instead he quietly draped the suit he'd just been wearing over the empty chair beside Sebastian. "I should go." Kurt glanced at his phone and added, "It's getting late."

At first Sebastian barely reacted to Kurt's comment, save for the slight smile that spread across his face but it was enough for Kurt to blush at him still. "All right."

When it became clear that Sebastian wasn't going to say anything else, not unless Kurt prompted him to, he knew he had worn out his welcome. In all honesty Kurt was quite relieved to get away from the confusing atmosphere. Before he made it to the door Sugar came up to say her goodbyes and her sweet nature made it possible for Kurt to give them all a genuine smile as he closed the door behind him.

The second he was out of view and alone again, Kurt took a deep breath before he bolted up the stairs, running as fast as he could. If he were to keep such a pace he knew he could make the last bus for home but as he ran down the streets, Kurt's urgency soon left him. His sprint slowed to an idle walk, and he neared the bus stop just in time to see the vehicle drive away in the distance. It was just as well though; he could use the longer walk home.

Just as Kurt had assumed, when he did reach home, his mother reamed him out for his tardiness; going to the trouble to lecture him on responsibilities and the importance of keeping his priorities in order. Kurt kept his mouth shut but just barely. He understood what his mom was trying to tell him, however forceful it came off as, but that didn't mean he agreed with her sense of values. In his mind, his mom was far too overbearing for her own good and he should have fought back more over the years. Oh well, there wasn't much he could do about it now.

Kurt headed up to his room as soon as she was done. He was deep in his thoughts and barely registered what his body was doing. He wouldn't exactly call his family dysfunctional, but it was still far from perfect. His dad, Burt Hummel, was rarely ever home, and in the case of his mom Margaret, Kurt thought she really could use a life of her own.

It was soon back to the usual for Kurt; which meant sitting on his bed with his nose in a textbook. After he spent ten minutes trying to memorize the same line though, he let out a tired sigh. Was this seriously all he had to show after years of pushing himself? Kurt had never felt so bitter before and the worst part of it was that he didn't even know what he should feel bitter about. There was essentially nothing special in his life, nothing that left even a hint of an impression with him. It was all the same, day in day out; sleep, eat, and study – in various orders.

"I can't stand this anymore. I feel like I'm drifting away," Kurt breathed.

Kurt sought a way to anchor himself and in that search he found himself in front of his mirror, staring at his reflection. The eyes that stared back him looked haunted and tired; a far cry from the empowered young man he'd seen just a few hours ago. How could he find that part of himself again, Kurt wondered? There was sadly nothing in his pathetic excuse of a wardrobe that could trigger what had happened back at the studio.

Crestfallen, Kurt pushed his bangs out of his eyes. "What am I even doing? I have no time to wallow in my own self misery like this." What would Sebastian say if he were here? (Not counting anything that came with wild sexual undertones.) The answer came back at Kurt with a flash and he could almost hear Sebastian's cocky voice in his head as the idea formed in his mind. 'What you need Kurt, is a makeover.' He might not be able to do something about his pitiful state of dress but maybe he could take a whack at his hair.

Kurt wouldn't normally dare to try to cut or even style his own hair but he was in a particularly rebellious mood. He wanted to spring free from his textbook prison, so he swiped his mom's can of hairspray and found a pair of hair cutting scissors. Of course, this was no easy undertaking; one wrong move and Kurt could end up butchering his hair.

Thankfully Kurt lived in the age of technology, where the information he needed was just the click of a computer mouse away. He soon found a very informative video online that gave step by step instructions to give himself a whole new look. It was touch and go for a while and Kurt felt like quitting more than once. His stubbornness won out in the end though and through his valiant efforts (and his mother's can of hairspray), a new Kurt Hummel was born – one whose hair had climbed to impressive heights.

Kurt grinned at himself; he looked good – more different than his usual appearance but not as much than he'd been at the studio. This was good though; it was less of a shock to Kurt's senses. He laughed lightly at the sight of himself.

"What are people going to say?" Kurt muttered as he studied his new do from every angle.

Oh well, it was too late now to try to change it back, and besides, Kurt didn't want to comb his long bangs down anymore. He was actually looking forward to seeing what other flattering ways he could style his hair from now on.

Either way he'd have to wait until tomorrow to see if anyone noticed at all. He didn't bother to go back to studying after he'd finished tidying up from his hair cut; he just wasn't in the mood. Kurt simply climbed onto his bed to silently brood since his mind was too active for him to fall asleep. He felt as if he was undergoing a transformation. Was this new side of himself someone who had what it took to be a model? More importantly, if he were to see Sebastian on a regular basis, would he be able to resist his charms? Though in all honestly the more correct question to ask himself was whether he would even want to resist Sebastian's charms.

Sebastian aside (because Kurt wasn't ready to consider what he actually thought about the man yet), whatever happened next, even if it was nothing at all, Kurt knew he couldn't waver back and forth about his decision to be their model or not. At the very least he owed that small courtesy to them, those teens who were his own age but seemed years ahead of him.

He ran his hand over his face and sighed; if this was what it felt like to have people in his life then he wasn't sure it was worth the stress.

"Something tells me that these are gonna to be be three longest days of my life."

When Sebastian had given Kurt his three day ultimatum he'd never said he would leave him all on his lonesome. Absence might make the heart grow fonder, but in the case of Kurt, it was still much too early for that. Subtly was the key here; Sebastian needed to tread very lightly around Kurt, who wasn't used to dealing with anyone on a regular basis (or so Sebastian gathered anyway). Thanks to the fact that he'd taken a peek at Kurt's daily planner in his wallet (seriously who kept things like that since smart phones had come around?), he knew exactly where to find him.

Yet when Sebastian finally managed to track Kurt down the following day, he hardly recognized him. Kurt's hair was completely different, no longer combed down with such little effort. From Sebastian's viewpoint a short distance away, he could see how Kurt's bangs were trimmed and styled up on the top of his head. Sebastian swore that Kurt had given his wardrobe better thought as well, although his colour choices were too muted for Sebastian's taste still, and the fit too baggy.

Kurt's attention was solely on the book in front of him, his shields were up, and that meant he was shut off from the rest of the world around him. It hardly surprised Sebastian that Kurt would spend his weekend at a library; it was as if that boy were stuck in a different time period – like the 1990s. Sebastian had no trouble creeping up on Kurt while his attention was on his studies, so he chose to sit back and wait for Kurt to notice he was there. Or that had been his plan, that is, until a whole fifteen minutes passed and Sebastian grew horribly bored.

He stood up and went to find a book he could read to pass the time and after he chose something, he returned to his seat. On a whim Sebastian decided to accelerate things on his own; slamming the book down on the table right across from Kurt. That got a reaction out of him finally as Kurt jumped from the sudden noise.

Kurt was about to give whoever had interrupted his reading so rudely a piece of his mind, but as soon as he saw who was seated across from him his brain went blank. Sebastian was sitting directly in front of him and acting as if his being there was nothing out of the ordinary; was he some sort of mirage?

"Why isn't this a nice surprise; us meeting like this, Kurt," Sebastian said innocently.

"How did you-" Kurt sputtered; he needed to stop babbling and pull himself together. "How did you know I'd be here?"

Sebastian waved the question aside. "Don't worry about the details Kurt, and try to believe in a little serendipity."

"You looked at my day planner didn't you?" There was no answer, but Sebastian's smug smile was all the confirmation Kurt needed.

"Believe whatever you wish, if makes you feel better. Meanwhile, I'm going to read, since we are in a library."

Kurt narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Sebastian; what was his angle here? There was no telling with how his mind probably operated. At least they were in a library, so Sebastian couldn't make too much of a scene.

"You can go back to studying Kurt, I promise not to bother you," Sebastian said.

That hardly seemed likely to Kurt, who wasn't quick to trust anyone, let alone someone he'd described as a narcissistic playboy the day before. Nevertheless, Kurt willed himself to put Sebastian and everything else out of his mind so he could study for his upcoming exam. It would take more than a pair of enticing green eyes to lure Kurt Hummel astray. Since Sebastian's sentiment seemed to be real, at least for the time being, Kurt turned his attention back to the open book in front of him. He began to read each line until it was burned into his memory, going onto the next, until he'd finished a whole section. Kurt allowed himself a quick glance, just to see if Sebastian was still there and to his amazement he was, reading his book and looking as gorgeous as ever.

Kurt quickly averted his gaze before Sebastian could notice, because god only knew how Sebastian would torment him then. He was already affecting Kurt's ability to focus on so many levels and he wasn't even doing anything to antagonize him currently. Sebastian never once looked up from his own book – at least not whenever Kurt quickly peeked out from over his textbook to glance at him. Yes Sebastian was dangerously attractive, and gay, but that still didn't mean that Kurt was going to develop any real feelings for him. It wasn't as if he and Sebastian had to hook up just based on the fact that they both played for the same team.

'_I'm getting nowhere... except away from what actually matters,'_ Kurt reminded himself.

He went back to studying for a while and he managed to fight the temptation to check Sebastian out for a good long while. Only when he was reaching his limit did he finally take a short break. He put the book down, yawned as he stretched his arms and then nonchalantly looked Sebastian's way. But Kurt quickly discovered that his alluring eye-candy had gone. Kurt eyes scanned the immediate area, but there was no sign of him. What was the point in coming at all if he was going to leave without saying anything? It just didn't add up; there had to be more going on.

Kurt heard quiet laughter coming from somewhere and he narrowed his eyes enough to make out the source. He finally found Sebastian, who was sitting in the far end of the room, pretty much as far away and he could get from Kurt but still be in the reading area actually. Kurt rolled his eyes and decided he go could study for a bit longer. The added distance did the trick and Kurt didn't pay any mind to Sebastian for well over an hour. By the time he finished his study session, he was sure that Sebastian would have given up and left.

At first Kurt believed his assumptions were correct, and it wasn't until he stepped outside that he found where Sebastian had gone. Kurt shook his head and smiled amusedly at how picturesque the young designer looked seated underneath a tree as he read that oversized book of his.

However Kurt didn't approach him just yet, and he went so far as to walk off in the opposite direction. Kurt returned a short while later to find Sebastian where he had left him, and because he was still reading, it was easy to sneak up on him.

"I got some sushi for lunch, care to join me?" he casually asked.

Sebastian craned his head up to smile smoothly at Kurt. "A picnic underneath a shady tree with a cute boy? What more could a guy ask for."

"I'm sure you say that to all the boys," Kurt teased as he sat down beside him. There wasn't much room to give and they ended up touching shoulders. Much to Kurt's relief, he quickly got used to the casual contact. No one – aside from when he took public transit – had been this close to him and for the first time, Kurt didn't mind it so much. "You know what surprises me the most?"

"Dunno," Sebastian replied, leaning over to pick up a piece of sushi with his chopsticks.

"The fact that you had nothing better to do than stalk me." Kurt knew that 'stalk' was a rather harsh word but he got the feeling Sebastian wouldn't care one way or the other.

"Who says that's what I'm doing."

"Like you'd come to a library – on a Sunday – for any other reason."

Sebastian chuckled softly and placed his large library book on his lap. "Don't be so sure about that Kurt, this book I took out happens to be a great read."

Kurt couldn't help himself from reading the cover title, which was in French; talk about being pretentious. Kurt's grasp on the language was good enough that he was able to translate the words properly. 'Fashion through the ages' did sound like something an aspiring fashion designer would find interesting. "Did you pick this book because of it's sheer size or was that just a lucky accident?" Where were these flirty words coming from?

"I like looking at past fashions; it is true what they say, how what's old can become new again. I've already got a bunch of ideas that I can't wait to try out," Sebastian explained.

It was strange for Kurt to see Sebastian look so passionate when he wasn't being seductive. Was that why Kurt found him so annoyingly interesting: because he was doing something he loved? Just when Kurt thought that maybe he'd misjudged Sebastian, the young man glanced up from the book to see that Kurt was watching him. He smiled at Kurt almost coyly, but he made no snide remarks. His eyelashes were so long that his green eyes were half hidden from Kurt's viewpoint. "Stop it," Kurt muttered.

Sebastian stopped reading and smirked at him. "Stop what?"

Kurt had actually been talking to himself but the question worked for Sebastian too. "Stop trying to win me over with fake charm. I'm not that gullible."

"You aren't? Damn, and here I thought I was getting somewhere," Sebastian said sarcastically. "Sometimes my charm isn't so fake Kurt, and I used to be way worse too. I'd say whatever I wanted and didn't care what people might think."

"What made you clean up your act?"

"I didn't like getting the shit kicked out of me, or getting expelled from school after school. I eventually learned from my mistakes and determined what I could and couldn't get away with. As it turns out, manipulating people to get your way is almost as much fun as pushing buttons."

"Is that so," Kurt said.

"Basically I act nice during the day, like at school and when I'm around the general public – unless someone brings it upon themselves – and as for the night... well, I wouldn't want to make your virgin ears burn by telling you about what happens then," Sebastian said.

"I doubt we'd have the time anyway," Kurt replied snarkily.

Sebastian let out a throaty laugh. "Don't peg me for a playboy yet Kurt. It's true I've had my share of action over the years, but I've also had boyfriends too. Not many, but some, which is more than you can say, Mr. Still-in-the-closet."

Not this again. Sebastian wasn't going to let up until Kurt finally spoke about his sexual orientation. He decided to address it finally, but not in the way Sebastian probably hoped. "Tell me Sebastian, why is it that when a gay person doesn't want to talk about their personal life everyone thinks they must be in the closet, but when it's a straight guy, people will respect their privacy without an issue?"

"I'm not saying that there isn't an unfair double standard going on, but we both know that's not what this is about, Kurt. I get the feeling that you personally don't have a problem about your sexuality, you just haven't been able to admit it to anyone. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think I am."

"I don't have the time to go on dates or form any romantic relationships. That can all wait until my life is more under control," Kurt defended.

But that apparently wasn't satisfactory enough for Sebastian, who leaned in closer and grinned at Kurt cunningly. His eyes fell upon Kurt's chest, noting his heavy breathing and how that mean Kurt's heart was probably beating just as fast.

"And when you are ready for that relationship finally, will it be with a guy?"

Kurt narrowed his eyes at Sebastian. "Yes. It's like you said; I am gay and nobody knows but that still doesn't make it any of your business."

"You're right; it doesn't." Sebastian easily agreed.

With that, Sebastian let the issue drop and he stopped talking as they sat together and finished the remnants of their shared lunch. And yet, Kurt couldn't keep his eyes off of Sebastian, even when his attention was back on his book. Sebastian kept mouthing words, maybe he was making mental notes to store away for later, Kurt thought. Uh-oh, he shouldn't have looked so closely at Sebastian's lips because now he couldn't stop wondering what it would be like to kiss them.

"I envy you Sebastian, how you're so sure of yourself and what you want to become. I'm not like that at all, I have nothing; no real dreams, or any sense of drive to keep me going. Maybe if I had a goal like yours, I'd strive to become someone who I could be proud of. But there are just so many obstacles I'd have to overcome; I wouldn't know where to begin," Kurt admitted softly.

"Admitting that you're gay out loud is a good first step," Sebastian said.

Kurt smiled for what felt like the first time in ages. Humbled, Kurt ran his hand through his hair nervously but quickly stopped before he could ruin his hairdo. He still felt off somehow, like he had been knocked out of alignment and he wasn't sure how to put himself back together – or if he even wanted to. Kurt folded his legs up and rested his chin upon his knees. He fingered the grass around him until he realize he shouldn't be damaging the lawn so carelessly. "I guess it is," he replied finally, still unsure what this meant for him.

Sebastian stood up to dust any lingering grass and dirt off of his pants. He turned to Kurt, who blushed at him bashfully, though he tried to hide it from him, albeit unsuccessfully. "I should get back to the Atelier; there's still lots of work to do even if we don't have a model yet."

Kurt had forgotten all about the decision he had to make, and he was glad for it because Sebastian would have made it impossible for Kurt to focus on that. "I'll see you later I guess." He wasn't sure what else to say since everything seemed too much like a promise and he still didn't know if he'd say yes yet. Kurt watched as Sebastian began to head off and suddenly Kurt knew he couldn't leave things like that. "Sebastian! About the modeling job, please tell the others that I'm seriously thinking it over."

"Will do," Sebastian replied.

Once Sebastian was out of sight, Kurt let out a large breath of relief. Thanks to his strong emotional barriers, he'd managed to hide just how much their conversation had moved him. No one had ever talked so casually to Kurt about the very things he had always been so desperate to hide. Nor had Kurt met anyone who could understand the things he was going through and accept them without question. Kurt had always imagined that the first time he told someone he was gay would turn out very differently. But surprisingly, it wasn't that at all, if anything, it was anticlimactic. So what had made the difference? Was it because Sebastian was gay like him? That seemed unlikely, because in spite of their shared orientation Kurt felt like they were so completely different from each other.

Kurt had missed out on so much in his life so far, there was no saying how much grief he could have saved himself if he'd just had the courage to step out of his comfort zone. Now that this first baby step had finally taken place, Kurt suddenly felt more alive than ever before, and he didn't want that feeling to go away.

_

Ever since the new school term had begun, Blaine had started to casually greet Kurt in passing during their shared classes. Kurt had instantly come to love those days and it didn't even matter that Blaine never said anything other than a quick hello. Just the fact that Blaine knew who he was still floored Kurt to this very day. Unfortunately, nothing ever came from those chance encounters, because Kurt couldn't bring himself to say anything good in response. Most days all he could manage was an awkward 'hi.'

But that was the old Kurt Hummel, the one who purposely closed himself off from the world, and while his transformation was still very much a work in progress, there were already some noticeable differences.

"Hey there, Kurt-" Blaine did a double take, stopping to give Kurt a better look. "Wait, something's different about you..." he stared at Kurt for a moment. "Your hair, it's styled differently."

Kurt barely managed not to blush; he swore to himself that he hadn't done his hair up today with the hopes that Blaine might notice. In fact, he'd hadn't thought about his crush over the last few days at all - not since Friday. For some reason, this made it easier for Kurt to address him now and not fumble over his words.

"Oh, you noticed that, huh?" He hoped he sounded casual and not as bewildered as he felt on the inside. This almost made up for his mother's less than subtle reaction this morning; he still couldn't believe she'd thought Kurt had forgotten to brush his hair, as if such a look could be simple bed head.

"It's hard not to when you look so different, you're like, a model or something," Blaine said.

It was a good thing that Kurt was trying to embrace change, or else just the thought of Blaine giving him an actual compliment would have made him pass out from shock. He still could barely believe it though, so much that no possible response came to mind.

Sam, a blond athletic sort that Kurt knew was Blaine's best-friend, suddenly appeared behind them. "Careful there Blaine, it sounds like you're hitting on him."

Blaine frowned at the very idea. "It's not the dark ages anymore Sam, guys can give other guys compliments without it becoming a big deal." He turned to look back at Kurt. "You agree with me right?"

"Right," Kurt said automatically.

Sam just shrugged at them both. "I'm just saying that sometimes you're so polite that it almost comes off as creepy, Blaine." Kurt had no idea if Sam was being serious or just kidding around but if it were the former then Kurt strongly disagreed.

"Is Sam right, am I creepy?" Blaine asked Kurt.

What was with Blaine seeking Kurt's opinion all of a sudden; did this mean he actually cared what Kurt thought about him or was that just wishful thinking on his part. In any case, it was best for Kurt not to overthink the matter too much. "Of course you're not. What a stupid idea," Kurt said flatly, unable to hide his annoyance towards Sam for suggesting it.

Before Kurt's grasp of reality could really begin to loosen, Blaine followed after Sam and he and Kurt were once again back in their own separate worlds. That suited Kurt just fine, because his attentions were too preoccupied on the lesson plan. Oh who was he kidding. Kurt thoughts kept drifting back to Sebastian and his lot. He only had until tomorrow to give them his answer and so far he was leaning towards saying yes._ 'The question I should really asking myself is if I have what it takes to be a model.'_

Not only that but Kurt's schedule didn't leave him much free time either. The one thing Kurt did know was that he was sick of memorizing formulas and spending his nights with textbooks as his only company. It's not like he was forbidden from having a social life either. If Kurt were to say no then there would be no going back; he'd never get to set foot in that studio again, he'd have to succumb to his mundane life, once and for all.

After spending most of the day mulling over his decision, Kurt discovered he had absentmindedly broken from his usual route home and was nearing a familiar back road. He caught on just before he turned the corner; was this a sign? Kurt swore he hadn't intentionally meant to come here but clearly his subconscious was trying to tell him something. So Kurt didn't turn around, he kept moving forward, all the way until he was standing in front of that iconic pink door.

"Now what?" Kurt said aloud. Should he knock? He still hadn't made up his mind for sure, so would dropping by without a reason be such a good idea.

Suddenly Kurt remembered that Sugar _had_ told him he could come whenever he liked. "I should find out what the modeling job entails; it would make my decision easier I bet."

So against his better judgement - because even now Kurt's voice of reason was still telling him he should go before he'd lived to regret it - Kurt stepped up to the door, took a deep breath and knocked. But there was no answer and Kurt frowned in response. Was anyone inside yet? Kurt could hear loud rock music coming from within. No wonder no one had heard him then, what with that racket going on. Just for the heck of trying, Kurt turned the door knob and was surprised to discover it was open. Seeing that he had been invited there, Kurt gingerly slipped inside.

At first Kurt saw no signs of life, so he continued onwards. But when Kurt did see someone he was totally unprepared for it. Sugar and Puck were at the pool table, or rather, they were lying on it, with Sugar straddling Puck as they heavily made out. Kurt couldn't move, not even to look away; he was that much in shock.

Finally, Puck, who was the one facing the right way, had the sense to realize he and Sugar weren't alone. As soon as he saw Kurt a short distance away gaping at them, Puck's eyes went wide. "Oh, shit."

"Already?" Sugar muttered.

Puck shook his head and straightened his body up so Sugar had no choice but to slide off of his lap. As she turned to face Kurt, he saw that the front of her blouse was unbuttoned, as was the fly of Puck's pants. Amazingly, Sugar made no attempts to cover herself back up, or apologize to Kurt, who still hadn't been able to move yet, and her face lit up at the sight of him. "Angel!" she squealed, rushing over to him without a second thought.

The sudden movement finally snapped Kurt out of his trance and in his panic, Kurt blushed bright red and bolted towards the door. Sugar tried to catch him but she was no match for his long strides.

"Angel, wait! It's not that bad! We weren't even having sex yet!" Sugar cried out desperately.

But Kurt wasn't listening, he was too busy trying to flee for his life. He might have gotten away if not for Unique, who was on the other side of the door when Kurt opened it. He narrowly missed steam-rolling her and sending them both flying to the ground.

"Kurt?" Unique asked with surprise once she'd recovered from their near collusion. "What the hell is going on? Did Puck yell at you again?"

"No." Kurt paused to take another breath; his delicate disposition couldn't take much more of this. "I stopped by and ended up walking in on Sugar and Puck, who were getting busy on the pool table and I-"

"I'm so sorry Angel, please don't go yet!" Sugar shouted as she made it to the doorway.

Unique looked to Sugar, whose shirt was still open, and then back to Kurt, who was currently trying to calm himself down so he wouldn't pass out, and shook her head. She seemed to know what had gone down just from the clues she'd gotten so far. "Shame on you for scaring the wits out of Kurt, Sugar. I would've thought you'd have better sense, girl. The Atelier is no place for you and Puck to get it on, save it for the bedroom."

"I know but Puck says doing it somewhere else makes it thrilling and it's true," Sugar replied.

_'Oh, my God! Haven't these guys ever heard of TMI?'_ Kurt thought with horror, although no amount of second hand embarrassment would make him say this to their faces. "It's all right, I was just caught off guard."

"You look like you could use a good cup of tea to soothe your frazzled nerves, Angel," Unique said, guiding him to the bar.

Kurt took a seat, because tea did sound good right about now. Puck it seemed was doing his best to act like nothing had happened, which suited Kurt just fine. Sugar sat beside Kurt at the bar; he wasn't sure if this was due to guilt or if she was just normally this friendly.

It took Unique a few minutes to finally select a canister of tea, but when she opened. it she let out an irritable growl. "Just my luck that we've run out."

"So just pick another one; you have tons," Puck said.

Unique turned to glare at him. "You don't know the first thing about tea, Puckerman, so don't you try to tell me how to choose my hot beverages." Puck merely shrugged at her, which made Kurt think that little 'show downs' like this were quite the norm.

As Kurt watched them all silently, something inside of him tugged at his heart-strings, but what exactly? Envy was an easy guess, because the idea that he could be so at ease around people that he could speak his mind and not offend anyone seemed almost unheard of. He never would have thought that a group full of such different individuals could get along this effortlessly. Of course Kurt only had three encounters to go on so far and yet he felt very strongly that his hunch was right.

"I should make you go get me some more," Unique said to Puck.

"Why the fuck should I?" he barked back, as if it were a real challenge.

"I'll go," Kurt said suddenly, cutting Puck off before he could reply. He wasn't sure why he'd volunteered so readily; he'd just acted without thinking. _'I could probably use some fresh air though.'_

"Would you, Angel? The shop's not too far from here." She saw him nod. "It's nice to have someone offer to help around here, unlike_ some people_," she said loudly, and it was pretty clear who she meant. "I'd go myself but with my heel choice today, the trip would kill my feet." As if she needed to prove her claim, Unique stuck out her left foot to reveal her high platform boots.

Now that Kurt had agreed to go, he figured he'd break from the usual and seek human company for once. Besides, he didn't know the immediate area very well and he figured that Sugar would only be too happy to join him. "Would you like to come with me and be my guide, Sugar?" Kurt asked.

Just as Kurt had assumed, Sugar shouted back a joyful yes and urged him to hurry it up so they could start off on their adventure together. As Kurt followed her down the sidewalk, he found himself wondering if she was always this cheerful. If so then keeping such an ongoing sense of happiness seemed very tiring to him. Out of the corner of his eye he saw that Sugar kept glancing at him but said nothing. He found it sweet that she was trying not to pester him too much and he decided to reward her for it. "So you and Puck are an item, huh?"

Sugar rolled her eyes. "Of course we are. I wouldn't have been on the pool table making out with him if we weren't." Her scoff wasn't all that convincing, which was probably what she had been going for. "I know Puck might seem scary-"

"That's not the first word I'd use to describe him," Kurt interrupted.

"Well he still isn't. Noah – that's his first name – is a really sweet guy."

"If you say so."

"I've known him for years, for so long that he's become more special to me than anyone else, even my family. I feel so safe when I'm with him and when we're alone he acts totally different, he trusts me that much," Sugar said dreamily.

"Were you childhood sweethearts?" Kurt asked.

"Yes, which is amazing since we come from totally different backgrounds. Puck kept getting into fights ever since he was little and one day I came to save him from a group of older kids." Sugar stopped when she heard Kurt's snort in disbelief. "Hey, just because I'm short and cute doesn't mean I couldn't take care of myself. It did take a while for Noah to warm up to me, but I was a very determined six year old, and we've been inseparable ever since."

Kurt smiled at Sugar warmly as they walked along. The romantic in him, the one he usually kept well hidden, found the whole story very endearing. Looking at Puck, Kurt would have never guessed such a scenario either. He supposed that love could bring out the best in anyone though.

"What about you, Angel?"

"What about me?"

"Is there or has there been anyone special in your life like that?"

Kurt's posture tensed. No one had bothered to ask him about his romantic life before - well aside from Sebastian but that hardly counted."Not in the slightest," Kurt began. He realized that while no pronouns had been given, he didn't want to slide past the matter of gender. "I've never gone out with any guy, or had a boyfriend before."

"So you are gay then?"

"Yes, your assumptions from before were correct. I am gay, but I'm not out yet." For the second time that week Kurt's expectations about others learning his sexual orientation were proven wrong. Like with Sebastian, Sugar's reaction was purely positive and she instantly came to accept it without issue. "I promise not to tell anyone Angel, your secret crush is safe with me."

Kurt narrowed his eyes at her in puzzlement. "Who said anything about me having a secret crush?" His face blushed a bright shade of crimson. He could barely look Sugar in the eye; there was only one way she would know. "You saw the photo?" How could she have guessed that the photo of Blaine was a secret crush of his?

"I'm sorry Angel. I swear I wasn't trying to snoop through your personal stuff. I only looked in your wallet to find a way to contact you. That's when I found the photo," she explained.

Humiliated, Kurt wished he could deny the whole thing but that wouldn't do him any good. "Look Sugar..." he began, his words faltering already. "The guy in the photo... he has no idea I took it, or that I have it in my wallet. He's... he's not even gay but I still couldn't stop myself from liking him." He ran a hand over his face. "I never should have risked taking that stupid photo," Kurt muttered under his breath.

Sugar carefully approached Kurt and when he made no attempts to retreat from her, she placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay Angel, you haven't done anything wrong. I can hardly blame you either, Blaine's so dreamy he's like a real life Prince Charming. It's no wonder you fell for him, even if he's straight," Sugar said.

"Wait a second, you know who Blaine is?" Panic ran through Kurt, though he had no real idea why. Even if Sugar and Blaine were familiar with each other, it didn't change anything. Kurt wanted to trust her and he had every reason to, despite his wariness to let his guard down enough so he could.

"Yeah," Sugar said softly, noting Kurt's unease. "Why don't we go have some tea and I'll tell you the details."

The tea house that Kurt and Sugar had been headed to turned out to have its own little patio area, which worked well for Kurt, who felt less closed-in seated outdoors. He watched Sugar daintily take a sip from her tea cup; he was dying to know how she knew Blaine but he couldn't bring himself to ask her yet. He ignored his own tea for now, leaning forward towards her, luckily there was no one around to overhear them. Eventually Kurt couldn't take it anymore. "So how do you know Blaine exactly?"

Sugar, who had been busy doing something on her phone, leaned ahead so she could show whatever she'd been searching for to Kurt. There on the screen was a photo of three young children (two boys and a girl), all of which looked oddly familiar. Each had matured over the years but there was no mistaking their identities.

"That's Noah, Blaine and I when we were in the third grade. Blaine and I were neighbours since we were infants, so when I befriended Noah, Blaine came along with the deal. The three of us were the best of friends, we were always together... until my parents divorced in our junior year of high school and I moved away to live with my dad."

Something in Sugar's guarded body language told Kurt that she was being vague on purpose; she was also smiling less now. Kurt decided not to press her on the matter, since he himself knew the importance of privacy.

"You won't tell Puck or Blaine about the photo will you?" He didn't mean to imply that she would; he was just that worrisome by nature.

"I won't Angel, I promise. Sure I love gossip but I'm also really good at keeping secrets," Sugar assured him. "You don't need to worry anyway though, Noah and I haven't seen Blaine for a while."

Kurt quietly sipped at his tea to give them both a moment for thought. Until now, Kurt hadn't considered that not having any real friends meant he'd been saved from emotional hardship. Not all relationships worked out either, some people drifted apart and went their separate ways. But in spite of this, Kurt still longed to have friends of his own, because if loneliness was the alternative, then it was worth the potential heart break.

"Isn't this tea delicious, Angel? Unique has such good tastes. When we first got the studio there wasn't anything left for us to start with. Noah kept griping about how Sebastian's uncle could have left us something behind," Sugar began to babble.

Kurt soon learned that the studio they'd come to use once belonged to Sebastian's uncle, who had gifted it to his nephew to use however he wished. From there the band of friends had transformed the empty bar into their own personal workshop, christening it the 'Atelier,' and the rest – as Sugar had so cutely put it – was history. He listened to her intently and once again he felt the unmistakable yearning to be a part of their group.

"I'll be your model for the show," Kurt said all of a sudden.

Sugar's mouth hung open and she slammed her hands down on the table. "You will? Seriously? Shut up!"

"Yes, I really will." Kurt might not have known he'd say yes when he'd come to see them today but he felt it was the right thing to do. "I want to be your model, but, I'm still not sure what you need me to do for it."

"Oh, that's right, none of us bothered to tell you the details yet. Sorry about that. Let's head back to the studio so we can all fill you in, okay?" Sugar paused for a moment, as if she'd just considered something. "Wait, is there any place you need to go? Like for after class studies?"

Kurt shook his head. "I have no plans today, which comes to no surprise." This was a lie though, because Kurt was supposed to go to his after class study group but he didn't want to go back to his usually boring life just yet.

"Great. Then let's buy some of this tea and go tell everyone the happy news!"

"Do you think Sebastian will be there as well?" Kurt asked innocently.

"Who knows, you can never guess anything Sebastian does. Most of the time he just pops up out of nowhere!" Sugar answered straight away, not getting that there was any personal interest to go along with the question.

On the way back Kurt and Sugar ended up walking hand in hand but for once Kurt didn't care what others may think, or that he was holding hands with a girl he'd only met a few days ago. It felt nice to share some casual contact for once and the fact that there was no chance of romance to go along with it made things easier for Kurt to deal with. Kurt's cheery mood was dampened a bit when they returned to the studio and discovered that Sebastian wasn't there.

"I'm sure he'll come soon. It's best if we let him to tell you what you'll need to do, Angel," Sugar told him encouragingly.

So Kurt waited, and waited, but the man of the hour never turned up and Kurt wouldn't let anyone call him either. He didn't want Sebastian to think he wanted to see him that badly, because he didn't! Although Kurt couldn't stop himself from wondering how Sebastian would react to the news. Would he be happy or surprised? Neither scenario seemed very likely to Kurt and that irritated him. It finally reached the point where Kurt had to accept that time was not on his side.

"I should probably go. I know it's not super late, but for me it is," Kurt said.

"Oh, I'm so mad at Sebastian! I'll make sure he shows tomorrow," Sugar muttered.

"It's not like he had any obligations to come here." Kurt waited to see if anyone would correct him to say otherwise but it no one did. "And I'm a day early with my answer as well."

"Take it from me Angel, you don't wanna expect much from Sebastian, that boy's got a mind of his own," Unique said.

"Knowing him, he's probably off picking up guys. I've heard him say that having sex is his best inspiration. I tell ya, it sure pisses me off when smart guys like him can slack off and get away with it so easily," Puck complained.

"You guys are making it sound like he's totally undependable! Sebastian's still a great guy and he has so much talent. You'll understand once you're around him more, Angel, then you'll see why we teamed up with him for the fashion show," Sugar said.

Kurt wasn't so sure he wanted to get used to Sebastian though, considering that he hadn't figured out his feelings towards the man yet.

_

True to Sugar's word, Sebastian was around the following day, but his initial response to hearing that Kurt would be the model was lackluster at best. In reality he was using his keen eye to determine if Kurt's heart was in it or not, despite his obvious sincerity. It was time he learned that modeling – even for a school fashion show – wasn't just all fun and games.

Sebastian tilted his head to the side; Kurt's disposition was resolved and his stance slightly rigid. He'd no doubt expected Sebastian's reactions to the news to be more positive; oh he was so deliciously naive it made Sebastian almost hungry with desire. But there was more on the line than Sebastian's libido, so he put his own personal pleasure aside for the time being.

"I'm glad you've decided to help us out, Kurt," Sebastian said, starting off with some words of encouragement. "That being said, you better be ready to commit yourself fully to the job. Don't think that all you need to do is show up on the day to walk the platform. There's a lot of work to be done from here on, including endless fittings, and you'll need to learn how to walk properly as well. I need you not only to wear the outfit but project the exact image we want and then sell it to the entire audience." He saw a glimmer of determination on Kurt striking face but there was still visible doubt there as well. "You have the overall look I've been wanting and I think you have it in you, Kurt, but you're really going to need to step it up to own it on stage."

"I'll try my best-" Kurt began.

"Sorry but trying isn't good enough for us. Calling it quits isn't an option either, so as soon as you say yes then that's it, you're stuck with us until the bitter end – in this case meaning the day of the show. No matter what's going on in your own life, such as exams or whatever else, that all takes a back seat from now on; no exception."

Such bluntness was necessary, in Sebastian's opinion, because if Kurt didn't work out for them then Sebastian wasn't sure if he could put his faith in someone else.

"God, you're so full of yourself, Sebastian," Puck said.

Sebastian ignored the rude remark and continued to study Kurt, who for once was very unreadable. _'What are you gonna do, Kurt?'_ he thought curiously. Would Kurt back out and retreat into his own self doubt, thus robbing himself a chance to embrace who he truly was. Or would he rise to the occasion, seize the opportunity they were giving him and see what it could lead to.

"That doesn't sound like anything I can't handle. Just give me the chance and you won't regret it," Kurt said finally.

Sebastian let out a throaty laugh; delighted that Kurt did indeed have a backbone. Now if he could only harness this new side of him to create something beautiful, then their competition would be in serious trouble. Just the thought of seeing Kurt in the ensemble he'd designed was enough to send chills down Sebastian's spine.

"I'm glad to hear it, Kurt. What I need from you the most is to embody the very meaning of confidence. Which is going to take a lot of work, 'cause no offence, but you're nowhere near that level of superiority yet," Sebastian said.

"I'm guessing you intend to get me there then?" Kurt asked dryly.

"If you'd like, but I had planned for all of us to," Sebastian replied.

Kurt's shoulders slowly began to relax and it seemed as if Sebastian's attempts to coax him out of his shell were working. It helped that Unique, Sugar and even Puck (in his own subtle way) also voiced their own words of encouragement, promising to help wherever they could.

"You know at first I wasn't sure if you were even happy that I'd said yes," Kurt admitted to Sebastian.

"Oh trust me, I'm very happy Kurt, can't you tell?"

"No, you're not an easy person to read."

"Why don't I take you out on a date tonight, so we can get better acquainted with each other, since we'll be seeing a lot of each other from now on. It's the perfect time to explain all of your responsibilities as well," Sebastian suggested.

Now that sure got a reaction from Kurt, who pushed himself back against his chair. Panic stricken at the very thought, Kurt couldn't believe Sebastian's nerve. With everyone around them, he didn't want to publicly reject Sebastian and it would hardly be a good start to their newly formed partnership either.

"Can't we just do that here?" Kurt asked nervously.

Sebastian glanced at the others and they quickly retreated so Kurt wouldn't feel quite so ganged up on. "I get it; you're afraid and I'm not judging you for that either. I'm not gonna make a move on you when the dates over, not unless you want me to. Until you give me that signal, then I'll keep things professional. I wouldn't even call it a date... except that I do find you attractive Kurt. You shouldn't put any pressure on yourself though; it's just a casual date, not a booty call."

"I dunno... for one thing I'm hardly dressed right for a date," Kurt sputtered, now he'd really wished he hadn't lied about not having anything to do that night.

"That can be dealt with in a mere second." Sebastian made a beckoning motion with his hands towards Sugar, who skipped over to him smiling. He whispered something in her ear that caused her to giggle and she gave him a cute salute.

Before he could ask what was going on, Kurt was pulled out of his chair and pushed towards the bathroom by Sugar. He was too caught off guard to put up much of a fight and so he found himself once again being given something to wear. In the end, Kurt's curiosity won the fight but Kurt told himself that he was far more interested in seeing if the same notion of self-awareness would happen like if had before. So Kurt put on the outfit, took a deep breath and turned to face the mirror.

The face that stared back at him wasn't as unfamiliar as the first time. He still looked different of course but that was more due to the clothes than anything else. The most noticeable change though was how Kurt's hairstyle suited his outfit finally. He was the full package deal almost. The pants were a deep maroon red and the fit – although a little on the snug side – was perfect. The equally tailored long sleeve dress shirt was a pale pink and over top of that he wore a matching maroon vest. The final touch was a bow-tie, which wasn't something Kurt would have ever considered wearing but it worked flawlessly with the entire ensemble. Kurt's converse sneakers were replaced with a pair of oxfords shoes – the same ones he'd worn before actually.

"Sebastian will have a hard time keeping his hands off of you with you looking so hot, Angel," Sugar said.

Kurt sighed, "That's what I'm afraid of."

"I was actually kidding, Sebastian would never force you to do anything; he's a gentleman at heart," Sugar assured him.

Kurt wasn't so sure of that but he didn't admit this to her. "So it's all up to me, huh?"

"Yep. Sebastian may be a total flirt but he still knows that you're here to be our model first. "

"Oh, well that's comforting then." The funny thing was, Kurt did find the fact just that, because it meant that if his feelings for Sebastian weren't romantic it wouldn't jeopardize the job, the show results, or any friendships he hoped to form along the way.

In any event, Kurt didn't get to think on the matter for much longer. Sugar, who seemed to take Kurt's lull in the conversation as sign to move things along, grabbed onto his arm and pulled him back out into the main room. The others were still waiting where he and Sugar had left them, and at their return, Sebastian stepped ahead to greet Kurt properly.

Sugar whispered good luck to Kurt before skipping to stand beside Puck. Leaving Kurt to stand there by himself, and it was then that he finally looked Sebastian's way. The smile on the young designer's face was enough to boost Kurt's waning confidence. When was the last time someone had given him this much attention? The answer was pretty easy: never.

The familiar sensation of butterflies in Kurt's stomach returned as Sebastian's eyes scanned his frame.

"Once again you managed to look hot as hell in our designs, Kurt," Sebastian said.

"Thank you," Kurt replied, blushing a little.

The rest of the group, save for Puck, came to circle around Kurt. Unique shook her head at Kurt; as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing. "I have to agree with Sebastian, because damn, you, are one tall drink of water, Angel. I'm getting thirsty just looking at you," she said teasingly as she pretended to fan herself.

"I know right! It's kinda crazy!" Sugar exclaimed. "It's like that suit was made for you, Angel."

"I gotta admit, what the girls are saying is true, you're the very embodiment of the Paradis Bise brand." Sebastian tore his eyes away from Kurt so he could address Puck, who so far hadn't bothered to move from his spot near the pool table. "Wouldn't you say so, Puck?"

Ever since the whole 'princess incident' as Kurt had dubbed it in his head, an awkward tension had formed between them. Or that's what it felt like for Kurt anyway, but for all he knew, their feud was all just in his head. It was hard to tell when Puck looked so pissed off about everything.

At first Puck just shrugged at them. "He looks like a different person."

Kurt narrowed his eyes at Puck confusingly. "I can't tell if that's a compliment or not."

"Depends on if you liked who you were before," Puck said, but then he noticed that Sugar was glaring at him. "You do look way better than Sebastian did though, not just with this suit but the one you wore on Friday too. I'm glad that someone's finally managed to show him up." Now Puck was actually smiling, though that could just be at Sebastian's expense.

"It was bound to happen sometime. I'm just glad that person turned out to be you, Kurt, and not some total _jackass_," Sebastian said, grinning at Puck. "Now if you're all done monopolizing Kurt, we do have a date to go on. If Kurt even plans on saying yes."

The one thing Kurt knew for sure was that going on a sudden date was something that the old Kurt Hummel would never dream of doing. With that in mind, and the fact that Kurt did want to get to know Sebastian better – if only to determine how he felt about that man - he was leaning towards accepting. That still didn't mean he was going to play along with Sebastian's game and act like he was doing him a favour.

"Sure why not," Kurt said casually as he adjusted his bow-tie. "I'd hate to waste such a good outfit."

_

It came as no surprise to Kurt that Sebastian would choose such a fancy restaurant for their impromptu date. Did he expect Kurt to be impressed that Sebastian could get them in without a reservation – as if. Kurt was just glad that he was dressed well enough for the occasion, or he'd feel seriously out of place. His desire to be more daring was all well and good but everything was happening so fast. How had he gone from considering the modeling job to going out on his first official date?

"So tell me about yourself Kurt; where are you from, what's your home life like, and what are your personal likes and interests? I know so little about you," Sebastian said.

Kurt tried to tell himself that Sebastian wasn't trying to make him admit how pathetic his life was and that he was generally interested about him. It still was hard for Kurt to believe that though, so it was difficult not to go the sarcastic route. He decided to give Sebastian the benefit of the doubt and answer all of his questions sincerely.

"So that's all there really is to you then? I thought you had to be exaggerating how boring things were, but now I see that you've had your life pretty much planned out for you. No wonder you said yes," Sebastian concluded.

"That's an interesting way to put it," Kurt said. Sebastian's comment was a little on the snarky side but for all Kurt knew, that was just Sebastian being playful. Flirting was all very new to Kurt, and he had no idea how he should conduct himself.

"Am I boring you already, Kurt?" Sebastian asked.

The reminder that Sebastian was there at the table with him caused Kurt's head to snap back up. He let out a heavy sigh; only fifteen minutes into their date and Kurt was already screwing it up. "No, it's not you, I just..." Kurt sighed again. "Sorry, I'm new at this." And by this, Kurt meant interacting with people on the whole, not just the dating portion.

"I've noticed." Sebastian didn't say anything else to make it clear if he were joking or not; he just nonchalantly sipped as his drink, no doubt waiting for Kurt's reaction.

"So, going back to the modeling job I've just agreed to doing. Though 'job' is probably a bit of a loose term since I'm not getting paid for it..." Kurt realized how this sounded and he blushed. "Not that I was expecting to be paid though!"

"Good, because I wasn't going to, but what you'll earn in life experiences should be just as valuable as cash I would think - don't hold me to that though."

"The show's in six weeks right?"

Sebastian nodded. "That's not a lot of time but we have started what we could and now that we have our model, the real work can finally begin."

"Why didn't you get a girl? Why approach someone like me?"

Sebastian straightened up in his seat and stretched for a moment. "I didn't want to make a pretty dress for some stunning girl to wear; that would be far too easy, and too conventional for my designing tastes. The world had been far too restricted when it comes to body image. I want to use my creation to push gender boundaries, Kurt. It's gotten where beauty cannot pertain to men anymore, not even in fashion, and in the case of women, their raw sexuality is being seen as something negative. I dunno about you, but in my opinion, that screams to me that the world seriously needs to change. Men can be pretty, women can be masculine and both genders, no, _all _genders should feel confident enough in their own skin to slip between gender lines without feeling ashamed. I think that fashion should be used to empower people instead of forcing them to be something they aren't," Sebastian explained.

Mere words had never utterly captivated Kurt before, yet he was hanging on Sebastian's every word and he couldn't take in everything he'd heard yet. When it finally did sink in two minutes later, Kurt was almost teary Sebastian had just told him spoke to him on so many levels, most of which he didn't even know existed until now. For someone as self conscious as Kurt, he couldn't imagine having the courage to speak his mind so fearlessly. How did he do it? Who the hell was Sebastian Smythe? Who in their right mind would talk like that?_ 'The exact sort of person who can bring real change and help the world broaden their horizons, that's who,'_ Kurt suddenly realized.

Kurt knew in his heart that Sebastian wasn't the only one to have such forward thinking views, he was just the first Kurt had encountered. And as a result, Sebastian was also the first person to inspire Kurt and make him want to reach the same level of honesty. Kurt wanted to be out, he wanted to stop hiding in his own shadow, and no longer be too afraid to let himself shine.

"You really mean all that, don't you? You're not just saying it to impress me," Kurt asked softly.

Sebastian rolled his eyes. "I'm not that much of an ass." As if he needed to prove it, Sebastian continued with his heartfelt speech. "Life shapes us Kurt, but in the end it's up to us to embrace who we really are, instead of just becoming the fake shells of ourselves that other people see us as." His serious expression softened into something far more flirtatious after saying this. "That's enough philosophical talk for now though."

Kurt cracked a shy smile.

"When you walk down that runway on the day of the show Kurt, I don't want people to care what society deems as appropriate. The vision I've designed uses shock value and with you as my model, and with your raw masculine beauty, I think that will be possible."

"Just as long as I'm not half naked up there, then I think I can manage," Kurt said jokingly.

"With your witty sense of humour, I think you'll fit right in, Kurt."

"I sure hope you're right about that."

"Oh I am, trust me, you have it in you, or you will, in time."

What Kurt wouldn't give to have Sebastian's confidence but on second thought, he wasn't sure he'd want to pay the price for it.

"How about we put the business portion of our date aside for now? Seeing how this is your first, we should make it one to remember," Sebastian said.

"I'm not putting out," Kurt muttered without thinking.

Sebastian let out a mocking laugh; what was it with Kurt thinking that Sebastian's intentions always included sex. "Who said I was expecting you to? Haven't you been listening to me, Kurt? I don't find virgins very alluring; there's too much pressure to perform and put their needs ahead of mine – so no thanks. But I gotta admit that in some cases, showing someone the joys of physical pleasure first hand is pretty awesome."

"Honestly the whole idea of virginity is so overrated; it's not like you suddenly transform into a new person when you have sex. And in this day in age, it's not even clear what counts as losing your virginity anymore. I may not know the first thing about sex, aside from the obvious mechanics, but there's got to be more to it than penetration." Kurt it seemed, was too busy venting to realize he was actually talking honestly about sex – and to another person at that.

"I actually agree with you Kurt, when it comes down to it, it's no ones business but your own, and the person you're having sex with I guess. But yet again, you're sidestepping the real issue here. Whatever you've been led to believe, either by my own actions or what you've heard from my friends, I'm not some crazed sex deviant. I'm not trying to seduce you either - not seriously anyway. You should still realize though, that I'm no knight in shining armour and if you were to make the first move then I'd be on you in a second. But until you do something that obvious, you have nothing to fear from me on the sex front, Kurt," Sebastian explained.

"Good," Kurt said flatly.

In all honesty, Sebastian had no idea if anything would happen between him and Kurt, and for now Sebastian was fine to just to flirt with him. He studied Kurt as the young man sipped at his champagne; he looked less nervous than before, so maybe there was hope for him yet. The sooner he got Kurt to step out of his comfort zone the better, because from his experience with deadlines, six weeks would go by in the blink of an eye.

"Can I ask you a personal question, Sebastian?"

"Sure."

"Who did you come out to first and at what age did you tell your parents?"

Ah yes, the quintessential question that any out gay man faced. Sebastian was surprised yet pleased that Kurt had the nerve to ask him so soon into knowing one another. "That's hard to say, because I can't remember who I first came out to. It was probably some guy I hit on or something. As for when I told my parents, I was... oh, about twelve I think."

Kurt's eyes widened. "That young?"

"I knew I was gay long before that and I pretty much accepted it right away. Don't ask me why though, because I have no idea; I just did. My parents didn't care that I was gay either, mainly because they were too focused on themselves to care. It hardly mattered to them what gender I was attracted to. My folks are hardly what you'd call conventional, Kurt, and I don't meant that in a good way."

"God, can it really be as simple as that?"

"Sometimes it can, but not always. Every situation's different."

"Aren't you tired of always knowing exactly what to say?"

"At times yes, which is why I don't put on the nice guy act all of the time. Wait long enough and you'll see what I'm capable of." He grinned at Kurt provocatively, to clarify what he meant exactly. If Kurt understood his signal, then he pretended not to. Man, courting Kurt was becoming a whole endeavour already. Good thing Sebastian had been growing tired of the gay club scene or he doubted he'd put in the effort needed to win Kurt over fully.

"You might wanna go easy on the champagne there, Kurt," Sebastian warned as he watched Kurt begin his second glass that night. He highly doubted that Kurt was used to drinking; he had lush written all over his innocent face.

Kurt frowned at him quizzically. "Why? It's not like it's the real stuff; we're underage," he said.

"Do I look the sort of guy who'd drink the type of stuff they give to kids at parties?" Sebastian asked teasingly.

The second the realization hit Kurt, he put down the champagne glass and stared at it in horror. "But I've had close to two glasses already! I had no idea-" Now Kurt was really rising to what appeared to be some sort of episode. "What are we gonna do?"

Sebastian leaned forward and patted his hand affectionately. "Relax Kurt, nothing's gonna happen to us. As long as you don't bring attention to yourself by starting to hyperventilate."

"Right, okay… yeah." Kurt took a deep breath, held it and let it out slowly. "I've been prone to having panic attacks when I'm under heavy stress."

Now this was news to Sebastian; he'd just thought Kurt was a stressful person who tended to get too worked up over things. But Kurt's potential health condition did not however make him reconsider having Kurt be their model. He would just have to tread more carefully around Kurt from now on. "What can I do to help you?"

Kurt just smiled at him dreamily. "Just keep staring at me like that... I find your pale green eyes oddly soothing. Mind if I gaze at them for a while?"

"You're drunk, aren't you?"

"No I'm not," Kurt giggled.

Wonderful, just what Sebastian didn't need; a drunk Kurt to deal with – there went their date he supposed. "I think it's time I took you home," he said, sighing heavily.

Kurt pouted at him. "But it's so boring there. I like here being with you much better, Sebastian."

"Well it's not more fun for me and I'm sure as hell aren't going to spend the night babysitting your drunk ass."

"I thought watching a piece of hot male ass would be just your kinda thing," Kurt taunted.

"All right, we'll stay for a bit longer," Sebastian said in defeat. "But only so we can put a few cups of coffee in you," he added as he took away Kurt's now half empty champagne glass.

As soon as Sebastian Kurt thought that had recovered enough, he took him back to the studio so his date could redress. After that Sebastian drove Kurt home and parked his convertible a few blocks away from Kurt's house at his request. Sebastian understood the precautions Kurt was taking, since from what Sebastian had been told, Kurt's mother was very strict and the last thing they needed was to put her on the alarm by having her son come home drunk.

For all appearances, Kurt seemed have shaken his drunken state off for the most part; he wasn't slurring his words so much now and the shameless flirting had also stopped. "Think you're good enough to head inside your house now?" Sebastian still asked, just to be sure. He wasn't about to abandon Kurt outright, but at the same time, he wasn't Kurt's keeper, nor was his becoming drunk Sebastian's fault.

Kurt ran a hand down his face. "I believe so. Either way I can always pretend that my fatigue's due to studying; that won't be anything out of the ordinary for me." He got out of Sebastian's car and it seemed as if he was going to leave without saying anything. Kurt must have realized how rude that would be though, so he turned around to face Sebastian. "Tonight was... interesting."

Sebastian, who was already out of the driver's seat, stepped towards Kurt and he didn't stop until he and Kurt were very near each other. "I had fun tonight, up until you got drunk anyway, so we should do it again sometime."

Since Kurt wasn't showing any signs of discomfort despite their close proximity, Sebastian decided to test their chemistry a bit. He moved his hand to gently touch the side of Kurt's face; stroking his cheek with the side of his thumb. Kurt's eyes fluttered from the move and he appeared to be in some sort of trance almost. However comfortable Kurt seemed with their current situation, Sebastian still wouldn't dream of kissing him. For starters, doing so would go against his promise not to make the first move, and Kurt's inhibitions were clearly still compromised as well.

What Sebastian had planned to do instead was to gaze into Kurt's eyes and say 'such enchanting baby blues like yours shouldn't look so tired. Promise me you'll take care of yourself from now on.' Only Sebastian never got the chance to, not when Kurt decided to take matters into his own hands, kissing Sebastian full on the lips. While caught off guard, Sebastian didn't mind this outcome in the least. The surprises kept coming as well, because to Sebastian's delight, Kurt's kissing skills were none too shabby. Not a lot of open mouth access going on, but still, his attempts were clearly working for them both. So either Kurt was a fast learner or his inexperience wasn't as hopeless as he'd originally let on - Sebastian's bet was on the former - not that it mattered.

If only Kurt hadn't gotten himself drunk. Although, if he hadn't, then Kurt probably wouldn't have kissed him in the first place. With that in mind, Sebastian decided to play the gentleman and not kiss Kurt again when their first one regrettably ended. And Sebastian's refusal to let things continue seemed to snap Kurt out of his daze.

"Well now... how's it feel to have had your first kiss?" Sebastian asked softly.

Obviously surprised by his own boldness, Kurt's eyes widened with what looked like genuine shock and for a second Sebastian thought he might blurt out 'Oh, my god!' in utter horror before fleeing into the house. But once again Kurt managed to show Sebastian that he didn't have his new model totally figured out yet. Kurt didn't utter a sound, embarrassed or otherwise; he just silently powered through his initial panic. Sebastian wouldn't call his act award winning and if it were anyone else he would have pointed that out. Yet for some reason – which he didn't want to consider right now – Sebastian held his sharp tongue at bay.

"It was bound to happen sometime I guess," Kurt said finally. "And all things considered, it could have been a whole lot worse."

"Gee thanks," Sebastian said but Kurt just rolled his eyes at Sebastian's fake emotional pain.

"I mean the part about still being drunk enough that I acted without thinking."

"What about the kiss itself?"

"You should know already Sebastian; you were there for it."

'_Is he trying to play hard to get with me?'_ Sebastian thought. If he was then his attempts felt pretty weak. Then it eventually dawned on Sebastian that Kurt was probably waiting to hear what Sebastian thought about their kiss, and Kurt's anxious expression - complete with fluttering eyes - seemed to support this theory.

"It was pretty good, all things considered. You got some good potential but, unfortunately you're not thinking straight enough for me to show you the ropes yet, Kurt." Sebastian noticed that Kurt's mood shifted to something more relaxed and possibly a little playful even. "I'm honoured to have been your first though."

Kurt snorted in response but still smiled at him. "Just don't let it get to your head, okay."

"Oh, we both know that there's no chance of that, Kurt." Sebastian eyes were lit with amusement; he was enjoying their banter far too much for his own good. _'Come on Kurt, tell me that I'm full of myself so I can say I'd rather be full of you,' _he secretly wished as he smirked at Kurt.

"Right. Anyway. I'm gonna go now, before my mom calls me to see where I've gotten to. I've already put her on edge with my _wild new haircut_."

"Fuck! If that's all it takes to set her off then you need to get your act together, Kurt. I don't want to hear that you've been grounded on the day of show."

"Don't worry. I'm pro at slipping under the radar. It also helps that my folks have no reason not to trust me, since nothing ever goes on in my life but studying." Kurt looked away from Sebastian to nervously glance over his shoulder. "Okay, so now I really am gonna go. You'll just have to save anything else you want to tell me till next time." Kurt turned his back to Sebastian and began to walk down the sidewalk.

As he headed off, Sebastian returned to his convertible and leaned against the closed passenger door. Too bad it was so dark or else he would have had a good viewpoint to ogle Kurt's tight rear end. Kurt didn't bother look back at him – not even once. How intriguing._ 'Now that's how playing hard to get is done,'_ Sebastian thought with amusement.

"So there will be a next time then? You haven't had any second thoughts?" Sebastian yelled out to him.

"I'm not a quitter, Sebastian, so you're good and stuck with me now!"

"Come by the studio tomorrow at four; we need to get your measurements!" 

"I'll be there, and you better be too!" That was the last thing Sebastian heard Kurt shout at him before disappearing out of sight.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Sebastian replied softly. He didn't care if Kurt hadn't heard him; he'd still wanted to say it anyway.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Would Kurt ever stand in front of this door without being overcome with a sense of foreboding dread? Although, _dread_ was a rather strong word, because Kurt felt more anxious than anything else. The reason for Kurt's current reluctance to enter wasn't due to anyone's actions but his own. He'd been the one who had kissed Sebastian so suddenly and without thinking. Still, Kurt stubbornly thought that he wasn't the only one to blame for that. He may have misread Sebastian's signals but he swore that Sebastian had wanted them to kiss. Why else would he have touched Kurt's face so affectionately, if not to kiss him?

Kurt's first instinct was to forget the whole exchange and act as if it had never happened. But Kurt didn't want to forget his first kiss. In fact, he was already craving a second one with Sebastian and that stunned him. Kurt wasn't used to wanting anything that strongly; especially not physical contact. He feared that the moment he saw Sebastian, any sense of logic would be rendered moot. Hence his present moral conundrum, and until he made his mind up, Kurt wouldn't open the door.

"We don't have a butler Kurt, and Puck's insistence on playing loud music makes knocking futile. If you want to go inside you'll have to do it yourself," Sebastian's voice announced from behind.

Kurt turned around to face Sebastian, since he knew by now ignoring him would never work. "I was just about to." Sebastian didn't challenge Kurt's obvious lie; he just kept grinning at him as he approached. Heart racing, it took every ounce of willpower in Kurt not to fall under Sebastian's spell again. "What?"

"I was just wondering to myself what it might be like to kiss you when you're fully sober," Sebastian answered honestly.

"Yeah well, keep on wondering," Kurt said, shutting him down.

"You should be more honest with yourself Kurt; you're a bad liar."

"And how would you know?"

"I know because I feel the raw chemistry between us too."

Sebastian inched closer to Kurt, stopping when their faces were only inches apart. He seemed to know just how much space to keep between them so it wouldn't trigger Kurt's flight instincts. Then, he pulled back slightly, as if to gauge Kurt's willingness to come closer.

As a reflex, Kurt growled in protest. That seemed to be enough for Sebastian to act, kissing Kurt with such unrestrained passion that Kurt lost the ability to process thought. Kurt melted his body against Sebastian's, giving himself over to the sensation. Sebastian kept kissing him, again and again, never stopping for very long. His skillful hands were everywhere; caressing Kurt's shoulders, clasping his neck and getting tangled up in his hair. It was a complete shock to Kurt's system; he felt so alive, and above all, aware of his growing desire for Sebastian. Slowly, Kurt's confidence grew and he began to participate, albeit clumsily but Sebastian's proficiency quickly compensated for this.

Since Sebastian was the more experienced of the pair, he seemed to know when to call it quits, before their passion could reach awkwardly strained levels. He pulled back so their lips parted but he kept his hands on Kurt's face. "Not bad, considering your lack of experience."

Was Kurt imagining things or did Sebastian actually mean it. '_Probably,'_ Kurt thought, considering his apparent smugness. "Good to know."

"I wish we could keep going but paradise of that kind will have to wait. We have work to do, Kurt," Sebastian said.

"A break at this point would be good actually," Kurt admitted sheepishly. He got the feeling it would be a while until he could process everything that had gone through him while they had been making out.

"Think you can go inside without giving our stairway activities away?" Sebastian asked as he fixed his hair.

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Yes." Hiding his feelings was second nature to Kurt by this point, the only difference this time being that those feelings included a physical aspect. He might be a novice when it came to intimacy but he wasn't about to let Sebastian lord the fact over him – if that's even what he was trying to do.

Either way, Sebastian seemed to believe Kurt enough to open the door and usher him inside. It took some effort but Kurt managed to hide his inner feelings behind his masked smile. Unlike the last time there was no monkey business going on to interrupt. In fact, everyone was busily working away. Unique was over at the largest table working on what looked like drafting patterns. Puck and Sugar were seated in front of two sewing machines as they fed fabric through the needles. Seeing just how seriously the three of them were working reminded Kurt that there was more at stake than what he and Sebastian could mean to one another.

"Hey all, hard at work I see," Kurt said in greeting.

"Hard not to when a slave driver like Seb's in charge," Puck muttered without looking up from his machine.

"But you operate best under pressure, Noah," Sebastian said with just a hint of mockery.

"Welcome back, Angel," Sugar chimed after she finished another hemline.

"Why does she call you that anyway?" Sebastian asked Kurt.

Kurt shrugged. "It's a nickname that stuck I guess; apparently she thinks I'm angelic."

"Well just look at him! How can someone that gorgeous be from Earth? It's like he was crafted by the hands of gods!" Sugar exclaimed.

"I keep saying that you're too good for Noah, Sugar," Sebastian cooed.

"Dude, I'm right here," Puck reminded him.

"I know, that's why I said it," Sebastian replied teasingly. "Not that you don't have your own sense of appeal..." Sebastian would have winked at Puck-if he were looking at him-but alas, he wasn't. "Okay that's enough fun for now; we need to make up for lost time – and quick. Sugar, could you take Kurt's measurements for me please?"

"Oh, but I'm already way behind with my sewing!" Sugar confessed.

"I can do it; I'm ahead of my work," Unique said. "As long as our Angel boy doesn't mind."

"I'm fine as long as it's not Sebastian," Kurt replied.

Yet again Kurt found himself having to strip down to his undergarments in front of a girl. At least he'd gone and worn a pair of boxer-briefs this time. "It's funny... I never dreamed I would be undressing in front of women this often." Kurt's comment had been playfully said, as a way to break the ice between him and Unique, since they'd barely spoken three words to one another so far. In spite of that playfulness, Kurt noticed how Unique's reaction didn't seem normal to him. "Did I say something wrong?" he asked, on the off chance that she'd taken his humour the wrong way.

Unique smiled lightly at Kurt. "No Hon, it's nothing you said. I guess I still get surprised when I'm called a woman so easily."

At first Kurt merely frowned at her in puzzlement; then as he thought about it more, and it finally hit him. Kurt's eyes widened and without realizing, his eyes fell towards Unique's chest.

Unique followed his gaze and smirked. "They sure look real huh? That's all thanks to coming from a family with money. It still took my parents some time to understand that I was a girl trapped in a boy's body and it wasn't easy, for any of us but they eventually came around. They might not understand me fully but they supported me when I went through the change. Thank god because the operation took a long time to recover from. I had it done as soon as I finished high school - missed my graduation ceremony actually - and it was hell at times, dealing with the physical pain, but that's all over now. Thankfully, and I'm finally who I'm supposed to be; inside and out," Unique explained.

"I had no idea..." Kurt admitted softly and he paused to think of the appropriate term. "...that you were transgendered." He suddenly worried that anything he'd done or said to Unique before would be considered offensive.

But Unique smiled warmly at Kurt, and she seemed to know what he was thinking by his facial expressions alone. "Relax Angel, you've got nothing to worry about, which is why I don't have any trouble telling you that I am trans. You obviously know what it's like to be different, the same as everyone else here does."

Acceptance was something Kurt hadn't encountered so much, but only because his struggles so far had been mostly internal. He saw now that his insistence on keeping everything to himself had robbed him of the chance of finding others who were like him. Kurt felt a tear fall down his cheek and he wiped it away. "I'm sorry... you're the one who's sharing your personal details and yet I'm the one getting all emotional." He felt so pathetic.

"You don't need to apologize," Unique said.

Everything Kurt knew told him otherwise; he couldn't show weaknesses, couldn't leave himself vulnerable.

"It took me a while but I'm finally comfortable with who I am. I may not project that I'm a trans woman but that's only because I don't feel the need to."

"I like the way you think," Kurt said. _'I just wish I could do the same,'_ he thought to himself with regret. "Thank you for telling me. It means a lot. I find your positive outlook very commendable, and inspiring. I honestly see nothing wrong with anyone wanting to become the person they truly are. If anything I think they deserve respect for being so brave to do so."

"You know I gotta admit that I wondered if Sebastian was in his right mind when he became so bent on you being our model. He's let his libido get in the way of his work before, but I see now that he was right about you."

The idea that Kurt could belong somewhere-and without having to pretend to be something he wasn't-rocked him to his very core. It was only now that Kurt realized how bad he'd wanted to have real friends who he could connect with. And here they were; they were all real, every one of them. Unique, Puck, Sugar and Sebastian all accepted him for who he was – flaws and all. They might not know him very well yet but that didn't diminish how wonderful their offered friendship made him feel.

"I guess I'll just have to trust that Sebastian's knows what he's doing then," Kurt said.

They joked together about Sebastian and whether he could be trustworthy or not as Unique took Kurt's measurements. Kurt tried to engage her in conversation while staying as still as possible but it wasn't easy when Unique's sassy comments kept making him laugh. It did however keep his mind off the fact that he was standing there in only his underwear, so that was something. It wasn't long before the job was done, and once he was fully redressed Kurt and Unique rejoined the others.

"I got Angel's measurements down for you, Sebastian," Unique said, waving the clipboard at him.

"It's about time, what took you so long?" Sebastian asked.

"We were having a moment," Kurt replied.

Sebastian didn't ask for any clarification and simply took the clipboard from Unique. "Good work anyway."

"I'm not sure I'm comfortable with you knowing my exact measurements, Sebastian," Kurt admitted.

"How else can we make sure our creation will fit you, Kurt, if I don't find out. Though honestly, with my keen eye, I'm pretty sure I know them already. So why don't we find out how close I am to the actual thing..." Sebastian said as he glanced down at the numbers. "It's just as I thought, I'm only a few digits off." Strangely enough Sebastian didn't gloat about it; he just looked deep in thought. "We'd better go borrow a dress form from school; the ones we have here won't work for Kurt's unique build."

Kurt kept quiet but on the inside he wondered if Sebastian meant that as a compliment or not.

"Come on Puck, let's get a move on," Sebastian said.

"Why the fuck should I?" Puck grunted.

"'Cause you're the muscle in our group."

When Puck made no further protests, Sebastian turned back to Kurt. "We won't be gone for long. But just in case we're delayed, I should get your number Kurt, so we can keep in touch."

"Oh sure, let me get it for you," Kurt said quickly as he went for his phone.

"You don't know your own number?" Sebastian asked.

"I don't give it to many people," Kurt explained. _'Or any at all,_' he thought, but Sebastian didn't need to know that. Kurt gave Sebastian his number and it came to no surprise to him that Sebastian didn't offer his in return. Fine, let him be that way then. Kurt wasn't about to ask him for it even though Sebastian probably expected him to; Kurt wasn't going to risk appearing that overeager (even if he kind of was).

Unique and Sugar quickly voiced their wanting to exchange numbers as well and Kurt was only too happy to. With a few rapid key taps his contact list had grown to an amazing four entries (with the other two being home and school).

"We'll be in touch Kurt, so you're free to focus on your studies for the time being. We wouldn't want your grades to drop on our account after all," Sebastian said.

"Stop trying to send Angel away, Sebby," Sugar whined loudly.

Kurt kept his thoughts well hidden as he watched Sebastian leave without any other word to him. Such a cool brush off made him feel a little sad for some reason. Which was beyond stupid; it wasn't as if Sebastian had to flirt with him all of the time. Kurt made himself forget about the infuriating man for now; he did have a bit of time before his study group and he couldn't think of a place he'd rather be than here with Sugar and Unique.

He hadn't considered that he wouldn't be called upon too often at this early stage. For all he knew there might just be a few odd fittings between now and the day of the show. But then, if that were the case why had Sebastian gone on and on about Kurt's many duties he'd be undertaking as their model? Kurt really needed to get Sebastian to explain things better.

By the time he left the studio so he could go to his study group, Kurt wasn't doing very well in remaining focused. His thoughts kept going back to those rushed and thrilling kisses he and Sebastian had shared outside of the studio.

"I'm in way too deep already," Kurt muttered under his breath.

Kurt finally decided he needed to sort through the confusing emotions Sebastian had caused as soon as he made it home. Once he was in the safety of his bedroom, Kurt lay backwards onto his bed to stare at his ceiling. What was he hoping for? That he'd be struck with a sudden epiphany and things would start making sense? Unfortunately no such moment came so he was left to figure things out on his own.

Was it possible that Kurt was genuinely interested in Sebastian and that his attraction was based on something more than just the physical? Or was it that Kurt was just drawn to the idea of forming a romantic connection with someone, and Sebastian happened to be available?

In his ever growing state of confusion Kurt found himself bringing out Blaine's photo from his wallet. He let out a tired sigh; it was only days ago that he'd been fully into his crush on Blaine. Now, with the sudden appearance of Sebastian, it had been forgotten so easily. But however wonderful Blaine seemed, he wasn't gay and it was time for Kurt to face that truth. Blaine would never love him, but Sebastian might and even if he didn't, he could still become something special to Kurt – even if that something was just a friend.

Kurt couldn't bring himself to destroy Blaine's photo though, so he tucked it safely away in his dresser drawer. The act almost signified that a chapter in Kurt's life was coming to a close. There was no telling what was ahead of him, but at least he wouldn't be meekly heading towards what he had once thought was his only future. Whatever happened, Kurt would face it all bravely and with an open mind._ 'Now I just hope that my days of sitting on the sidelines are over,'_ Kurt thought wishfully.

He could hope all he wanted but when it came down to it, Kurt would be the one to make real change happen for him. Well, and possibly Sebastian, if his constant flirtations meant anything.

_

"Hummel, you sly dog, turns out you've been keeping a pretty big secret from us all, huh," Sam announced from behind.

Kurt was caught so off guard by Sam's the question that he dropped the pile of books he had been collecting in his arms. It was the end of class and Kurt had planned to head over to the studio next, even if Sebastian hadn't asked him to. He certainly hadn't expected Sam to approach him and strike terror in his heart. Did he know about him and Sebastian? Was everyone at school whispering behind his back that he was gay? Kurt tried to hide his fear behind his usual poker face of disinterest. Yes he did want to become more honest but he wasn't ready to come out yet and especially not at school. "And what secret would that be?"

"That you have a smoking hot girlfriend who's waiting you at the school gate right now," Sam explained as he pointed at the window.

The word girlfriend sent instantly relief through Kurt, and the tension drained from his shoulders. He was still curious what Sam was going on about though, so he headed to the window to take a look himself. Sugar was outside at the gate looking bored; she must be there to surprise him. "Oh, her... she's just a friend," Kurt said.

Sam didn't seem to buy Kurt's claims though. "Sure Kurt, whatever you say. You can keep pretending that you're just an antisocial bookworm if you want. I wouldn't have said anything but when I tried talking to her just now she ordered me to come and fetch you for her."

"Thanks for the message." Kurt collected his books and headed off without another word. He needed to make one last stop before he could meet up with Sugar but hopefully she'd wait for him.

As it turned out, someone else got to Sugar before Kurt. Blaine stopped in his tracks, did a double take and turned around to look at Sugar again, just to make sure she was actually there. "Sugar?" he asked in disbelief.

No matter how many times Sugar had gone over in her head how she'd deal with seeing Blaine again, nothing could prepare her for when it was actually happening. Unlike many of her daydreams, she didn't grow overly dramatic and give him a firm talking to. Nor did she throw herself at Blaine to hug him and say how much she'd missed him. Sugar smiled at her childhood friend sweetly – but in a fake sort of way that said 'oh, it's you'.

It wasn't as if Sugar didn't still care about Blaine; she'd considered reaching out to him many times in hopes that they could mend the rift between them (Puck included). But then she reminded herself how Blaine had been the one to suddenly turn away and without any warning. One minute everything was fine between them, and then he was simply gone. An entire year had passed since she and Puck had heard so much as a peep from Blaine.

"Hey, Blaine." Her act was flawless, and the casualness in her tone just as convincing. Sugar looked over at Blaine and noted his gelled hair, polo shirt and bow-tie look. "You sure haven't changed."

"Are you here to see me?" Blaine asked.

Sugar shook her head; her jewelry jangling from the movement. "No I'm not here to see you Blaine, so you don't need to freak out on me. I'm here to see a classmate of yours, I believe you know Kurt Hummel?"

"You know Kurt?"

"I just said I did. I guess he didn't tell you."

"We barely talk to each other."

"Ah, that's your loss then. He and I have become close friends, because I can have a boyfriend and still have male friends, Blaine."

Blaine seemed to notice the hidden spite in her careful phrasing. "Sugar... I never meant to-"

"Why who do I see but Miss Motta in the flesh. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Kurt interrupted.

"I thought I'd come see you in person instead of just calling you up," Sugar said.

"That's nice of you. Hi, Blaine, I'm not interrupting anything am I?" asked Kurt.

"No, not at all," Blaine quickly assured.

It wasn't very fair to Blaine for Kurt to take Sugar's side when he didn't know the full details; he might consider her a friend now but Blaine was a fellow classmate. So he did his best to remain as polite as possible, even when Blaine made a hasty retreat.

"Is everything okay?" Kurt asked Sugar once Blaine was gone.

"I'm fine. Seeing Blaine like that went better than I would've hoped and that's one of the reasons I came here. I'm sorry if that was awkward for you to see."

"I wasn't, mainly because I had no idea what was really going on."

"How about I fill you in on the details then, since I know I can trust you to keep it to yourself."

"Why don't we spill our hearts out while we eat something, because I'm starving!"

The two friends found a nearby coffee shop and after they'd ordered some drinks and desserts, they sat down to chat. Kurt would have liked them to swap stories but sadly didn't have much to tell, so he was fine to sit back and let Sugar do the talking.

"I probably made it sound like Blaine grew apart from Puck and I because of distance and some of it was due to that... but not all. Up until I moved in with my dad in our sophomore year of high school, the three of us were always together and our relationships with one another were equal. I adored them both and I thought that would never change. Then Blaine got busy with school and that left Noah and I alone together more. From there things sort of happened and my feelings towards Noah turned into something more... something romantic." Sugar paused to take another bite out of her cheesecake. "Then all of a sudden Blaine started acting distant towards us... and this was before Noah and I had confessed our feelings, or even acted on them. We didn't hear from Blaine all summer, he just disappeared and he kept saying he was just busy with stuff whenever we tried to contact him."

Kurt watched Sugar play with her fork absentmindedly as she spoke; retelling the past seemed to be hard for her. Kurt was about to tell her she could stop if needed when she flashed him a brave smile.

"I got pretty bummed about it and Noah was really there for me, which made us even closer and well... one thing led to another and we got together finally."

"Do you think Blaine had feelings for you?" Kurt asked softly.

"I think he must have or why else would he have left like that. The sad thing is, I still love Blaine... just in a different way. But I felt guilty for choosing Noah over him and I'm worried that he resents me for it to this day."

"It might not be like that, maybe Blaine thought that he would be in the way, like a third wheel, if he were to stick around," Kurt offered.

"It thought about that too but if so then he's being really stupid. Blaine wouldn't be in the way, he'd still be our friend!" Sugar took a deep breath. "Sorry, obviously this is all still a sore spot for me. I keep telling myself that if Blaine doesn't want to be our friend anymore then that's his choice. For all I know it was too painful to be around us, so I've tried not to judge him, but I do miss him still."

Kurt leaned back in his chair. "It feels like I'm living in a totally separate world from people like you Sugar, who have real social connections with people..."

Sugar looked at the sheepish state Kurt was in now and chuckled. "Well there's no time like the present for all of that to change."

They spent a moment eating more of their meal, allowing Kurt to think more on the subject. He had felt out of place almost to the point of alienation when he'd first met Sebastian and the others. It reminded him how different he was from them and that in turn made him feel terribly envious. But since being accepted into their little clique, Kurt saw how the opposite was also true. That in not having any friends, or anyone close in his life (his parents didn't count) he'd avoided grievances such as drama, emotional pain, and most especially: heartache. The alternative was not better though and that was why Kurt wasn't pulling away from their friendly gestures.

"I really wish that Blaine was gay," Sugar said with a longing sigh. "You two would make such a cute couple."

"I used to daydream that Blaine could be secretly gay and was just too afraid to admit it to anyone," Kurt confessed.

"Well if he is then he's super good at hiding it. Blaine's never shown any inkling that he likes guys. We even joked about it a few times, but Blaine told me he's straight and I had no reason not to believe him. I guess he could be bi, but I don't think that's likely."

"Oh well, I guess it just wasn't meant to be."

"But now there's no one to keep you from falling for Sebastian."

Kurt blinked at her innocently, pretending not to know what she was trying to imply. There went the hope that no one had noticed his growing rapport with Sebastian. They'd probably all seen it before with Sebastian and that wasn't very comforting news to consider. "Sorry I'm not following you," Kurt said innocently.

Sugar went so far as to point her fork at him accusingly. "Don't act like you two haven't been making googly eyes at each other since the moment you first met. I've known Sebastian long enough to recognize when he he's got the hots for someone. He wants you Angel,_ badly_, and I get the feeling you feel the same way about him."

"Are you sure he wants me?" Kurt asked, blushing red in the race.

"I can't believe you're surprised by the idea! Angel, you're a real catch okay; Sebastian knows it and so should you. Did anything happen between you and Sebastian on your date?"

There wasn't any real reason for Kurt not to tell her about how he and Sebastian had kissed, aside from how she'd surely explode with excitement. Kurt wasn't used to having anything about him be remotely riveting, so he needed to take this all in small steps. Maybe after he'd gotten a better of sense where things could go with Sebastian then he'd tell her. "Try to take an easy on me Sugar, I'm technically still in the closet after all."

"Oh no you're not; you voluntarily went out on a date with a boy in public, so the cat's out of the bag now, Angel. Sure no one at school or your family knows you're gay yet but you gotta realize there's a chance someone could find out still-" Sugar stopped talking as soon as she saw the terror on Kurt's stark white face. "Oh my god, you didn't think about that, did you, Angel?" Kurt shook his head but said nothing. "I'm so sorry! I wasn't thinking..."

"No. I'm the one who wasn't thinking. You're completely right. I did come out when I went on that date with Sebastian." Someone could have seen them together and relayed the news to his parents. No. If that had happened then his mom would have called him by now. It didn't matter if no one had seen them; the threat was still painfully obvious to him now. So much for his plan to come out slowly, and to tell his parents first when he did. Kurt hunched over on the table; his head felt so heavy that he found it hard to keep it upright. "What have I done?"

"You went out with a boy you like, because he asked you to," Sugar answered for him.

"And I kissed him later on that night too."

Sugar gasped, "You did?"

"Yeah. I kinda got drunk off of champagne at the restaurant." Kurt saw Sugar's eyes widen. "It was my fault, I didn't know it was alcoholic champagne," he quickly added.

"Well that's not so bad then; was the kiss still good?"

"Very."

"Then you have nothing to worry about."

"But I'm so prone to worrying that I don't know how to do anything else!"

"You need to remember that you're not doing anything wrong, Angel."

Kurt picked himself back up – starting with his fallen head – so he could smile warmly at Sugar. "Thanks Sugar; I'll try to keep that in mind from now on."

"Just be careful though, when you're with Sebastian. He might seem charming but he also can be a total cad with guys."

This explained why Sugar had whined that with Blaine not in the picture then there was no competition for Sebastian. He'd momentarily forgotten that confusing remark, since it seemed like Sugar was all for him and Sebastian becoming an item. "Are you saying that I shouldn't date him now?"

"No, I'm just warning you be cautious with him. He has had a few boyfriends, but he mostly likes to have quick flings and one night stands. I've seen him seduce guys and toss them out in the span of three days and that's long for him."

"It's crazy but I don't think any amount of warning will stop my heart from racing whenever I see him."

"If there's anyone who can turn Sebastian into real boyfriend material then I bet it's you, Angel," Sugar said.

"You're always so sweet; no wonder your parents named you Sugar," Kurt cooed.

Sugar finished the remainder of her cheesecake and beamed at him. "You know what Angel, now that I think about it Sebastian is the perfect person to teach you the ways of an out gay man. I'm also sure he'd be more than happy to show you the ropes." She leaned in closer so only he could hear her when she added, "Amongst other things."

"I bet," Kurt said, smirking at her in response. He still wasn't sure if he wanted_ that_ from Sebastian yet or if he ever would. Kissing was all fun and good, as was making out, but sex complicated everything, and Kurt didn't need to be doing it to know this. On the other hand, if his physical encounters with Sebastian so far were any clue then sex with him would not only be educational, but hot as hell._ 'Great, yet another issue I have to deal with.'_ Oh well, all Kurt could do for now was add it to his growing pile and tackle them one at a time.

Sebastian had always been blessed with perfect timing, so he wasn't surprised to find Kurt lying in wait for him when he stepped out of the studio. "Ah Kurt, I was hoping you'd drop by. Would you care to accompany me?" he asked.

"To where exactly?" Kurt questioned warily.

"Fabric shopping down in the Loop. The rest of the team's already out scouting."

"So why didn't you go with them?"

"I was waiting for you, Kurt; you're the one I really want to be with."

"For fabric shopping?"

"Seems a good a place as any for us to start with."

Kurt seemed to consider his options for a moment, then he let out a tired sigh. "Fine, I'll go."

It was not the most encouraging response, but just the fact that Kurt had said yes so easily was a victory in itself. Sebastian walked beside Kurt as he led them both to where his convertible was parked. He was surprised yet again when Kurt actually engage him in light conversation during the drive. Sure he wasn't revealing much during their chat but Sebastian was still learning so much about Kurt as a person.

"So I trust that you have a basic idea of what you're looking for in terms of fabric?" Kurt asked after they'd gotten out of the car.

"I do."

"Then do you mind telling me what those are? Since I'll be the one wearing the end result."

It was interesting how Kurt had turned so easily to snark and yet that only turned Sebastian on even more. Sebastian's fascination with the guarded young man had grown exponentially over the past few days – and at an almost alarming rate. Kurt was very easy on the eyes and many of Sebastian's thoughts towards him were lustful, but there was more to his attraction than that. What captivated Sebastian the most was Kurt's spirit, and he yearned to see the true self that was slowly being coaxed out of hiding.

"Remind me to show you the designs when we're back at the Atelier. But to answer your query: yes, I have an exact image in mind – that's the whole problem. As a designer, sometimes you can dream up the most stunning designs, only for the transformation from vision to the real thing to go wrong."

"What's the colour scheme?"

"That's a funny story actually. The original plan was to go with royal blue but after you came into the picture... I've changed it to purple." Sebastian waited to see what Kurt's reaction to the news would be.

"And what brought you to that decision?" Kurt asked calmly.

Sebastian smiled at Kurt. "It's the colour of royalty for one thing and you, Kurt, are quite regal. Purple is also the quintessential gay colour, so I want to take that stereotype and-"

"- and make it your own?" Kurt finished for him.

"Exactly. I'm glad you're starting to catch on."

"Well at least it's not pink," Kurt said jokingly.

"Maybe next time."

Sebastian really wished that Kurt would look his way and show him that adorably shy smile of his._ 'I guess I do have a thing for virgin boys; who knew.'_

Kurt's attention was brought back to Sebastian when he felt the brush of his hand against his own and he stared at him in puzzlement.

"Really? Hand holding? We're not even dating," Kurt said.

"We've been on a date; isn't that enough?" Sebastian countered.

"No."

"You've held hands with Sugar before, so what's the big deal?"

"That's different; she and I don't play on the same team."

Sometimes all the gentle coaxing in the world wouldn't get a stubborn individual like Kurt to act, so Sebastian took hold of Kurt's hand and before Kurt could pull away, kissed the back of it lightly. Sebastian saw Kurt's cheeks flush red and his eyes flutter but his giddy rush was short lived. Kurt glanced around to make sure no one had seen their mild PDA and when he apparently confirmed no one had, he let out a large sigh of relief.

"Don't you wanna play with me, Kurt?" Sebastian asked.

At first Sebastian thought Kurt would blow him off and yank his hand away but surprisingly he started walking down the road with their hands still clasped together.

"I'm not sure," Kurt replied. "I have no idea what the rules to your game are."

"Rules? Oh Kurt, there are no rules – guidelines yes but those are more for show."

"You're not making a lot of sense here."

"Yeah well, sometimes the world doesn't make much sense either."

At first Kurt just rolled his eyes at Sebastian's cheeky expression, but he smiled afterwards. As they continued down the sidewalk together, he saw how Kurt kept nervously glancing around. "Don't act so self conscious Kurt, you're drawing too much attention to yourself," he advised.

"That's easier said than done."

"It doesn't need to be. As soon as you stop worrying what other people think, you'll lose a lot of unnecessary stress in your life, Kurt." Kurt's lips were tightly pursed, as if he was resisting the urge to smile – his silence seemed to be because he couldn't think of a good counter remark to challenge Sebastian's claim."So what does holding a guy's hand out in the open feel like so far?" Sebastian asked.

"Anticlimactic, but nice."

Sebastian squeezed Kurt's hand as he guided them down the sidewalk; he noticed how Kurt seemed less concerned about those around him now. Kurt was still a long ways away from becoming an out and proud gay man, but it was a decent enough start.

_

"How about this?" Kurt asked, holding up a bolt of fabric for Sebastian to inspect.

"That's mauve," Sebastian scoffed.

"Well sorry, I guess I don't know my purples," Kurt said sarcastically as he put the bolt back.

"It's a dark rich purple."

"How can a colour be rich?"

"You're suppose to be helping me; you're a sucky assistant, Kurt."

"Yeah well considering I was thrown into the job with no hands on experience..." Kurt grumbled. Sebastian began to snicker. Was everything he said to Sebastian going to be taken as an euphemism now? "Oh grow up a little."

"Why?"

"Because I thought you said we need to focus on finding fabric right now? If I'm too much of a distraction for you then I can always leave."

"Please stay and I'm promise I'll behave," Sebastian said and as if to prove it to Kurt, he went down the aisle to continue their search.

Kurt left him to the task and tried his best to do the same, even when he wasn't sure what they were looking for exactly. He thought back to Sebastian's earlier description; how the fabric needed to instantly draw people's focus in. All right then, if Sebastian wanted eye popping then Kurt decided to let his eyes gaze over the bolts of fabric before him, in hopes that something might stand out. So far his _bright_ idea wasn't working so well, but then out of the corner of eye he saw a hopeful glint. He raced over to it and picked up the bolt; he thought it looked to be royal purple, but what did he know?

"Sebastian, I think I may have found something," Kurt called out.

Sebastian quickly appeared and took the bolt of Kurt's hands. "Good eye, Kurt, but let's see if your pick is up to par." He unravelled a section of the fabric and waved it around, probably to check the weight and flow of it. Then he ran his thumb and forefinger along the fabric; the feel of it must be important Kurt guessed. Sebastian wasn't paying the slightest attention to Kurt, but somehow he still didn't feel ignored. If anything, he found the extent to which Sebastian was inspecting the fabric – with such an intense soul-reaching gaze – strangely entrancing.

"I think you're onto something Kurt," Sebastian muttered. "And there's one way to know for sure. Here, let me try something..." Before Kurt could ask him what he meant, Sebastian draped the fabric around his front and over his shoulder. "Hold still. I'm trying to get the feel of things."

Kurt willed his body to remain still as Sebastian attempted to do whatever 'get the feel of things' meant.

"Could you try not to looking so constipated?" Sebastian asked.

Kurt rolled his eyes. "How would you like me to look then?"

"Kingly."

"Oh, like that helps me at all."

"Act like you own the world Kurt, and that all the people in this shop are your loyal subjects; myself included. You need to think that this entire store is your property and it is by your generosity that we can stand inside it. In fact, by your high opinion, we should all be kissing your feet for just allowing us to breathe the same air as you."

That sounded too conceited to Kurt, whose opinion of himself was the furthest from royalty one could get. Still, he was willing to give it a try, even if he found the notion rather silly. He closed his eyes and tried to project what Sebastian had just described to him. Basically he needed to take a page from Sebastian's book and increase it threefold. _'I can do that,_' he thought optimistically. As he tried to manifest his inner royal, he had no way to realize that he had called forth a part of himself that had been lying in wait. So far it had only appeared in a few rare moments-mostly brought on by Sebastian and his group of friends-but Kurt had only ever done it subconsciously.

Sebastian was unprepared for what he saw when Kurt finally opened his eyes: flawless superiority. It sent shivers down his spine. _'Holy shit.'_ What Kurt had achieved by his raised brows, slightly upturned mouth and tightened jaw was earth-shaking. But that wasn't even the most striking thing: as Sebastian stared into the blue pits of Kurt's eyes he could barely register the feelings that stirred within him. He somehow felt both unworthy and yet treasured at the same time. Being so close to Kurt – in all his splendour – put Sebastian so beneath Kurt that he felt as if he were a mere peon in comparison.

Awestruck, Sebastian feel to his knees and bent before Kurt, taking his hand and kissing it softly, as if Kurt was a true crown royal. "My liege," he whispered in reverence.

The beautiful illusion broke instantly when Kurt's new confidence wavered, or it could have been because people had taken notice of their romantic display. Either way, Kurt tugged on Sebastian's hand in attempts to get him to stop.

"Sebastian, you've proven your point for long enough. Please get up!" Kurt hissed.

Sebastian stood back but but he refused to let go of Kurt's hand just yet; not before he expressed some of the feelings stirring within him. "Thank you, Kurt."

"For what?"

Yes, what exactly, Sebastian thought irritably; why was it so hard for him to speak his mind. He'd never had this sort of problem before and especially not when it came to guys. Oh right, Kurt was still waiting for his answer, he reminded himself. "Actually, I'm not completely sure yet," Sebastian admitted; so much for being direct. He supposed any sort of confession would have to wait until he better understood what was going on in his heart. "Guess we'll both have to wait and see."

"I guess so," Kurt replied, half smiling as he handed Sebastian the bolt of fabric.

_

A celebration had broken out at the studio shortly after Kurt and Sebastian returned with the news that they had found and purchased the main fabric for the team's show piece entry. Kurt was dressed up in yet another 'Paradis Bise' creation, this one a more casual but still flattering ensemble of slacks and shirt. Kurt had always had a secret liking for dark red tones and was delighted to find that the shade of his borrowed shirt complimented his fair complexion.

Seeing himself look so good had made Kurt aware of what a dire situation his current wardrobe was in. If Sebastian were to see his closet at home then he would probably call an intervention, and ironically, Kurt now had something similar in mind. Kurt forced himself to get up and go approach Sebastian, who was currently chatting with Unique by the bar._ 'You can do this,'_ Kurt encouraged himself.

Sugar noticed Kurt's determined expression and she figured he must be coaching himself to ask Sebastian something. Kurt gingerly caught Sebastian's eye and immediately the young designer gave Kurt his full attention. Unique didn't even seem to mind that she'd been so suddenly forgotten either, and she came to join Sugar and Puck at their table. Kurt and Sebastian started to converse and from what Sugar could hear (which wasn't a whole lot; they were talking rather softly) it sounded pretty ordinary – and yet the two were still hanging on each other's every word.

"Man do they have it bad," Puck said.

"No kidding," Unique agreed.

"Should we go?" asked Sugar, who hadn't taken her eyes off the pair yet.

"I'm not going anywhere. It's not like they own the place," Puck said.

"Except Sebastian technically does, but I think at this point they could use some chaperones," Unique said.

"Okay good, because I really didn't want to go!" Sugar admitted happily.

Unique brought her finger up to her lips. "Shh! Keep it down or you'll spook them."

"Fat chance, it's like we're not even here," Puck said.

Sebastian suddenly turned to face Puck. "Unfortunately Noah, I am very aware of your presence still," he said dryly.

Puck's response was to extend his middle finger at Sebastian, who chose not to give him the satisfaction of reacting to the rude gesture. Instead he turned his attention back to Kurt and smiled at him apologetically. "Should I make them leave? Because I can, Kurt. Just say the word and I will."

"None of them are bothering me," Kurt said, shrugging.

"All right." The decision made, Sebastian once again ignored their presence and went to stand behind the bar. "I tell you what, I'm going to make you a cocktail," he announced.

"Just as long as I don't get drunk again," Kurt said teasingly.

Puck, who had been drinking a beer, did a spit take at hearing Kurt's comment. Sugar cried out and flinched away to avoid getting soaked.

"Don't you have anything better to do than eavesdrop?" Sebastian asked.

Puck shrugged. "Nope. That's probably why we all became friends in the first place."

"Well try to be a bit more subtle and pay attention to something else, like Sugar perhaps, who is after all_ your_ girlfriend." Sebastian stared at Puck until he and the other two culprits, who were less obvious with their observing, backed off and went about their own business. Content, Sebastian began to bring out the necessary ingredients to whip up his promised drink for Kurt. "I think I'll make you a cosmopolitan, Kurt, it's a good drink for a novice like you to start with."

"So Sebastian, um... since being drafted into your ranks and after getting to wear your gorgeous creations... I find myself wanting to give my pitiful wardrobe a serious upgrade. I've never put much thought into my clothes and I want that to change."

"How progressive of you," Sebastian said playfully.

"Anyway, what I'm trying to ask you is; will you take me under your wing and go clothes shopping with me?"

"I guess I can bestow some of my fashion wisdom on you, as long as we look for material for the show piece at the same time."

"That sounds good to me and and it means I won't be distracting you from the job."

"Feel free to distract me a little, if only to keep things interesting," Sebastian said, sliding Kurt's drink in front of him.

Kurt sipped at his drink warily but he shouldn't have doubted Sebastian's drink making talents. The fruity sweetness almost completely masked any harsh taste alcohol usually brought, and while Kurt had nothing to go on, he thought the cocktail had been skillfully mixed as well.

"Just so I'm clear, will this shopping trip be considered a date?" Sebastian questioned.

For once Kurt didn't need a moment to consider his answer, because as much as his instincts were telling him to tread warily, he couldn't keep away from Sebastian – or the growing chemistry between them. "Yes Sebastian, I'm asking you out on a date."

"Then I'd be a fool to say no," Sebastian said charmingly.

Trust Sebastian to choose his words so that he had said yes without stating it outright. It didn't matter anyway, Kurt realized, because his charismatic smile, combined with how his green eyes seemed to twinkle with excitement, was all the confirmation he needed. It sure felt nice not to doubt a person's sincerity for once, and it calmed him enough so he could keep the playful banter between them going strong.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

The initial euphoria Kurt felt about his impending date with Sebastian lasted for a time, but eventually Kurt's usual anxious tendencies returned. While he was proud that he'd gathered the courage to make their shopping endeavour an official date, he hadn't considered the side-effects. He was nervous, so horribly nervous -and doubtful. What if Sebastian grew bored of him? What if he already had started to? Kurt had nothing to offer him. And what kind of person would suggest clothes shopping for a second date? Certainly no one Sebastian had gone out with before. But Sebastian wouldn't have said yes if he didn't want to go.

Personally, Kurt found clothes shopping so pointless and beyond frustrating; going to shop after shop, trying on clothes, only to find that nothing fit right or that the only things that did were ridiculously expensive. Kurt didn't have any fashion sense sense because he'd purposely avoided developing one. Hopefully Sebastian would teach him the knowledge he was seriously lacking without overwhelming him too much. Now if only he could manage not to over complicate things until the date actually happened, maybe he could survive the wait.

Kurt was trying to dress himself a little better in the meantime. Today he'd chosen his nicest pair of jeans, and his shirt was pale green in colour (not his usual choice of black, white or grey). So far no one had really taken notice, but that was what Kurt had been going for. He didn't need to bring attention himself; he just wanted to feel more natural in his clothes.

Just as Kurt was attempting to bring his focus back to his studies, Sam approached him. Kurt thought this was very odd; Sam never paid any attention him (or at least not when Blaine wasn't there too).

"Hey there Kurt, got any plans for tonight?" Sam asked.

"Um not really no; just going clothes shopping," Kurt answered casually. Why was Sam asking about his plans to begin with? He couldn't think of a shady reason but that didn't calm him very much.

"I'm asking because some of us are heading to a party soon, so I thought you might want to come along. It will sure beat some boring shopping trip."

Just the idea of Sam voluntarily inviting him to a party set off a whole array of alarms in Kurt's mind: there had to be some sort of catch. It didn't matter that Sam hadn't personally said or done anything mean to him either, it still didn't make sense why he was being friendly all of a sudden.

"Sorry I can't..." Kurt began to say, and he'd intended to make up some easy lie like he needed to study but he got a sudden urge to be more honest. "... when I said I was going shopping I should have clarified that I wasn't going alone. It's also a date."

"I bet it's with that hot piece who came to pick you up before right? Nice one," Sam said, grinning at him.

"No it's not with her; she's just a friend," Kurt corrected. It wasn't easy, but Kurt was starting to get a sense of what he could and couldn't say without him needing to lie outright. He wished he had to courage to say his date was with a guy, but he was ready for that yet.

As if by magic, Blaine came over to possibly intervene right when it looked like Sam was about to challenge Kurt's claims. "Hey guys, what's up?" Blaine asked as he approached them.

"I just finished inviting Kurt to that party we're going to, but it looks like he's got a hot date already," Sam explained.

It was hard to tell for sure, but Kurt swore that Blaine seemed to be generally surprised by the news; his eyebrows perked and he pursed his mouth – as if to stop it from falling open to gape. It suddenly dawned on Kurt that such a reaction could be because Blaine thought his date was with Sugar. After all, he had been out of touch with Sugar and Puck, so he might not know they were dating still. "It's not with Sugar, Blaine, she's just a friend."

"I know; Sugar's still with Puck," Blaine replied.

Kurt couldn't think of anything else to say, and anyway, even if he didn't have something to hide, their conversation was awkward enough already. He also got the feeling that this would be the first and last time Sam would try to reach out to him. "Thanks for the invite Sam, but I should get going," Kurt said as he stood up and hurried off.

Sam and Blaine watched Kurt as he disappeared from the classroom, and once he was gone Sam turned to Blaine. "I wonder why he's acting so secretive," Sam asked.

"I wouldn't say that he is," Blaine pointed out.

"I know it's hard to tell with him, but he seems even more skittish than usual."

"It's none of our business Sam, so leave him be."

Sam shrugged. "That's fine with me, just the next time why don't you just invite the recluse the join us yourself."

_

There were a lot of times Sebastian had broken promises he'd made (too many to list), especially when it came to his past romantic entanglements. He also couldn't argue with the fact that most of those infractions have been avoidable. Sebastian usually did what he liked, said what he wanted, and cared little for other people's feelings. Yes there were a few exceptions to the rule-such as his friends at Paradis Bise- but that was it basically. At least it used to be. Now that Kurt had walked into his life, Sebastian realized his old tricks of the trade would never do; he needed to reinvent his seduction tactics.

Sebastian had always been a direct person; he knew who he was and he hadn't ever considered there could be a downside to that. But meeting Kurt had made him see the light, and feel slightly envious of his personal journey even. Sebastian had never experienced a moment of true clarity, when everything suddenly clicked into place: self discovery of that level was something he couldn't imagine. Artists often used their personal struggles to inspire their craft, but aside from Sebastian's family history (which wasn't even that bad, all things considered), he'd had very little hardship in his life. But if Sebastian were to admit this to anyone, they would have little to no sympathy for his seemingly enviable life.

In truth, Sebastian still didn't know for sure who really was, or rather, what kind of man he should be in order to become a valued member of society. Sebastian was just another youth trying to find his place in this ever changing world. He was confident, yes, and had more charisma than he knew what to do with most of the time. Most people would have to agree that Sebastian Smythe was a man who walked to the sound of a different beat. But what they didn't know was that just beyond the surface of Sebastian's smug swagger, was a man who had his own self doubts and insecurities.

Would Kurt be the first once to peer past the layers and see what no one else ever saw – or even tried to find?

_'Man, I get poetic when I'm deep in thought,'_ Sebastian thought with amusement.

But this was no time to be pondering his life's biggest questions; he should live in the moment and pay attention to the young man standing a short distance in front of him. Just the longing expression on Kurt's unsure face as he looked out at the sea of clothing racks before them triggered a twinge of emotion. Sebastian inhaled sharply at the sight of him; he was so close to seizing his inner fashionista, it was almost tragic – in a romantic sort of way.

"Do you have any idea what you're looking for, Kurt?" Sebastian asked, noting the superiority in his voice as soon as he did. It was going to take some effort to turn that off; it just came so naturally to him that it was instinctive now.

"If I knew, do you think I would have asked for you help?" Kurt quipped.

"Yes I think so," Sebastian replied playfully.

Amazingly Kurt didn't roll his eyes but grinned instead. "Okay yeah, I still would have."

"Let me ask you this instead then Kurt; what do you find appealing?"

"In men or in men's clothing?"

Sebastian was glad that Kurt was voluntarily flirting with him finally. Now the real fun could begin (hot damn). "Let's start with clothing and save the other for later."

Kurt glanced back at the clothes in front of him and he let out a tired sigh; he seemed to be close to giving up already. But then, Kurt furrowed his brows in what appeared to be deep thought and Sebastian watched his brooding face intently.

"The problem is that I have no idea where I should begin; part of me wants to just dive in and experience the world of high fashion and make the biggest splash I can. But another side of me, the one who is prone to hesitance, worries that all I'll become is a fashion disaster. I hardly have the funds to become a trend setter either and if I were to change my appearance so suddenly – it might be seen as a desperate cry for help."

"I get the sense that you wish you could come out fully but it's not that simple so maybe changing the way you dress could be a small step towards that?" Kurt noded shyly in confirmation. "It's not a bad way to go, actually; clothes can give you a boost of confidence in ways that nothing else can – myself included – though I'm always willing to give it a go anyway Kurt, just so you know."

Kurt just sighed at Sebastian with obvious envy. "Sometimes I wonder how you do it... and so flawlessly."

"Do what?"

"How you always seem to say whatever you're feeling right when you're feeling it. You don't agonize about what other people might think either, you're just... _you_..."

"You do not want to be like me Kurt; there's only one Sebastian Smythe and there is only one Kurt Hummel. How about instead of wishing you were somebody else, you focus on being the you that you're not only supposed to be, but want to be as well." Sounding so philosophical had never been so easy for Sebastian before and he wondered why that was? He'd always had a way with words but whenever Kurt was around, he seemed to go into literary overdrive.

At least Kurt didn't seem overly impressed by Sebastian's philosophical choice of words; most men he encountered were taking so little effort to win over these days. Sebastian was growing tired of such scenes. A challenge such as the one Kurt brought along would be well worth any personal investments Sebastian had to make along the way as well.

"You mean that for today I should focus on learning out the how real Kurt Hummel likes to dress?" Kurt asked playfully.

Sebastian nodded. "And that's one of the reasons why I'm here; to help you figure out what direction you should go in. It might not seem like it, but discovering a person's sense of style is no easy undertaking. There's more to it than trying on clothes -a lot has to be taken in account; from your personal tastes, to the current trends and most importantly; knowing what kind of clothes flatters you and what kinds will only make you look like a fashion train-wreck."

Kurt stumbled backwards and leaned against Sebastian's shoulder for support. "Oh lord, what I have gotten myself into?"

"I'm not even done yet Kurt, we need to find the right colour palettes that will compliment your skin tone, and bring out those gorgeous blue eyes of yours. I think that should be out first job actually," Sebastian said, pushing Kurt towards a nearby rack. Sebastian could feel the tension in Kurt's tight shoulders under his hands as they moved along. "Try to take an easy there, Kurt."

"That's easier said than done, since you just told me this is no easy undertaking."

"It would be, if I wasn't involved, but lucky for you, I'm here at your service, Kurt."

"Just try not to go too overboard," Kurt warned. "I usually hate shopping and having you here with me to compensate for that usual dislike can only take me so far."

Thankfully for Kurt's sake, Sebastian knew where to begin. For Sebastian there was nothing like running his fingertips along the racks of clothing and allowing all of his senses to be his guide, but it soon became clear – when he started getting confused looks from Kurt – that he needed to explain his vision to Kurt as well. It was as if they spoke different languages when it came to fashion, so proper communication was key. It was fine time for Kurt to realize just how much one could express with what they wore. For instance, wearing the right pair of pants could make a guy stop and want a better look, yet if that same alluring behind was hidden under a pair of pants that were two sizes too big, then even the most perceptive man could keep on walking.

Of course life was hardly that simplistic, nor was the art of fashion so idealistic. In Sebastian's experience, his style had often been described as flashy, loud and various other terms that were less than kind. He was well aware that his tendency to wear three piece suits most of the time made him stand out and he often flagged himself as a homosexual, but that was the whole point. Sebastian wasn't actually trying to broadcast himself so openly, really he just liked to wear fine quality clothes and look good in the process. Okay that wasn't entirely true, since Sebastian did like to pull focus, but he enjoyed the semi-casual look now and then too.

"I suggest that we look for some standard pieces to start your wardrobe off Kurt, ones that are versatile enough that you can mix match them in several ways," Sebastian said.

"So we're starting with the basics?" Kurt questioned, seeking clarification.

Sebastian nodded. "You're obviously no stranger to wearing black, white and grey shades and black is very universal and also slimming – not that you need it. But I still think we should add at least a splash of colour still, starting with finding the perfect blue to match your eyes." Sebastian winked at Kurt, which made his date blush slightly. "Have a look around and see if anything speaks to you, Kurt, and I'll do the same."

It didn't take long for something to catch Sebastian's eye and he plucked his finding from the rack and held it out for Kurt to inspect. "How about something like this?"

Kurt eyed it warily; the t-shirt was white all right but it also had a blue crystal skull pattern on it and that made him frown. "I thought you said we were gonna avoid anything too flashy?"

"Plans change Kurt; skulls are all the rage right now and this shirt's an Alexander McQueen design. I think it's a brand name you could really come to like, if you'd just give it the chance."

For the sake of being reasonable, Kurt decided to humour Sebastian; the skull was made up of a blue floral pattern that oddly worked. Just when Kurt was beginning to warm up to it, he picked up the price tag and his eyes widened in shock. "Are you kidding me? A hundred and seventy dollars?" Kurt dropped the tag as if it had burned his hand. "That's insane!"

"That's not too bad, as far as designer brands go actually but don't worry, I've got a killer discount here," Sebastian said.

"I don't care if you can get it at seventy percent off, I am not paying that much for one freaking shirt!" Kurt rarely swore, not because he had anything against profanity, it just wasn't worth the effort. "I may have some funds saved up but if I were to throw my money around like that then I'd run out of cash pretty quick. The price of this shirt alone would usually cover a whole outfit for me!"

Sebastian smiled and shook his head affectionately at Kurt's obvious distaste. "Have it your way then; we'll stay away from high end brand names. It's still possible to dress well without breaking the bank, if you know where to look." Sebastian put the shirt back and led Kurt by the arm to a different part of the store. "And luckily for us, we don't even have to go too far."

As soon as Kurt checked the price tags in this new area he seemed to trust Sebastian enough to relax again. "Now this is more like it," Kurt said approvingly.

"Good, then let's go around and each pick five outfits -so not just a shirt or pants but both together- and after that's done we'll regroup at the changing rooms so you can try them all on," Sebastian suggested.

"That's a lot of clothes..."

"Think of this as a learning experience Kurt, because when you're a model that's basically more than half of your job. Just be glad that you don't have to undress in front of a full room of crew men."

"I'll give it my best," Kurt said.

"That's all I'm asking," Sebastian replied._ 'Or that's all you need to concern yourself with for now-the rest can wait.' _He was all ready to begin his search, but not before explaining one last thing to Kurt. "Now while I am here to help you, don't expect me to do all of the work for you. It should go without saying that your style needs to be your own, Kurt. Tell me if something isn't working for you, okay? I may try to change your mind if I feel that strongly about it, but I'd like to think we can keep things civil enough. If you were just planning to emulate the way I dress then I'm afraid you've picked the wrong guy to go on a shopping date with," Sebastian said, hoping that Kurt would catch the obvious playfulness his voice – though he still meant every word.

Kurt stepped forward so he could touch the side of Sebastian's cheek with his hand. That was no simple gesture for him. Physical touch and seeking such contact was not something Kurt tended to want, but with Sebastian he practically craved it already.

"Sebastian, you are the only one I trust enough to help me discover my real self. I think you saw me as I truly am, even before I could and that's... well... really amazing when I stop to think about it. I think we met for a reason; I have no idea what that reason could be and I'm not sure I want to know really. But I do know that when I put on that first suit of yours, I couldn't recognize myself in the mirror anymore. I suddenly had right before me a physical embodiment on the man I'd spent years trying to hide – out of fear. But I'm sick of denying myself anymore, sick of letting everyone walk all over me and dictate who I should and shouldn't be. I want change... and I want you here with me Sebastian, as I try to find myself."

On the surface, Sebastian's charming smile might be able to fool Kurt into thinking that the young designer wasn't moved by his words, but Kurt wasn't the only one who tended to hide himself from the world. Sebastian just did it in a way that was totally different from Kurt's; he spoke his mind but kept his heart well-guarded behind his emotional walls. Who knew that it would be someone like Kurt who would slip through them.

"So what you're basically saying is; you're an angel who's finally ready to fly," Sebastian said,

and the sound of Kurt's beautiful laughter sure sounded angelic to him.

_

"We both know you can't hide in there forever Kurt, and that changing room you're in isn't a closet either," Sebastian called to his date.

"I'm not sure about this Sebastian, I know I said I would give it a try but I'm really not cut out for this," Kurt said.

"Don't be so hard on yourself; I bet you look hot, so why don't you come out and show me?" Sebastian had a sudden thought, one that was too good to resist. "Or do I need to come in there?"

Although he had expected it, it still disappointed Sebastian when Kurt suddenly pushed the door open to step forward to submit himself to the jury. Per his insistence, the first outfit was one of Kurt's choices and Sebastian could see why Kurt hadn't wanted to come out of the dressing room._ 'Oh Kurt... you tried.'_ Sebastian didn't need to say this aloud, because Kurt clearly knew his first attempts had gone hopelessly wrong. Kurt's tense body language, along with how his arms were crossed protectively over his chest told Sebastian that self doubt was eating away at him already.

Sebastian sighed; he wanted to say something to put his date at ease but nothing good came to mind. Contrary to what Kurt probably believed, Sebastian didn't always have all the answers. Hell, most of the time his words of wisdom were just the product of luck and making things up on the fly.

"Please tell me what I'm doing wrong, Sebastian," Kurt asked helplessly as he raised his hands in the air. "Because I clearly have no idea what I'm doing here. I swear everything looked good but now that I'm wearing them... well... you can see me, so you should know." He slumped his arms back down and let out a tired sigh; at least he was able to admit his faults – albeit a little too readily.

Since Kurt was asking for Sebastian to give his honest opinion, he was finally ready to pay attention to Kurt's ill put together outfit. Which, as Kurt had just stated, was not the least bit flattering and that was just the tip of the iceberg.

Sebastian brought his hand to his face and cradled his chin between his thumb and forefinger of his right hand. He tilted his head to the side and furrowed his brows together as he pondered how to go about this. Should he be brutally honest with Kurt, or should he give it a slightly more kind approach? All it took was to look at Kurt's sad eyes and he decided to settle somewhere in between.

"You had the right idea, but your vision's off," Sebastian said._ 'Right off a cliff.'_

Kurt didn't take Sebastian's words very well though. "Oh, how encouraging," he grumbled sarcastically.

"Would you rather I lie to you and give you useless and empty compliments?"

"No. Sorry," Kurt said softly and he seemed to mean it.

"Let's start with the sweater; it's oversized and the tone of grey clashes with your skin tone. You should have gone at least a size down, if not two. You want outer layers to hug your body frame, not cover it up completely. I would have gone with a darker grey, just to have it match better with the black slacks you've chosen." Sebastian went over to Kurt's side so he could eye the dangling price tag. "Which are way too expensive for their poor craftsmanship. I mean, just look at these botched seams."

"Okay, lesson learned." It was a credit to his maturity that Kurt was taking his failure so well. It was also nice to see he wasn't letting anything fully get the better of him. "I want to try on one of your combos next, if only to see the right way to piece clothes together."

"Sure, but it's going to cost you."

"I'm almost afraid to ask."

Sebastian rolled his eyes at Kurt's sass. "I'm not asking for much; just a little show of appreciation for my valiant efforts so far." Sebastian stepped closer to Kurt and when he didn't move away, he slipped his arms around Kurt's waist. They stood there for a moment; the front of their bodies almost touching and Sebastian was enjoying watching Kurt's cheeks redden.

Kurt fluttered his eyes as he got used to Sebastian's close proximity but he didn't seem to mind the contact. "Such as..."

"A kiss?"

"What. Here?"

"Why not? No one else is around? It's not like I'm asking you to make out with me. Just one simple kiss... you know... to remind us that this is supposed to be a date."

As if he didn't believe him (and knowing Kurt, he probably didn't) Kurt looked around to make sure the coast was indeed clear. After confirming that no one was around; he stared up at Sebastian, who was patiently waiting for his kiss. What was the harm? They had kissed before, so there was no real reason for Kurt to hold himself back now. Besides, as much as it confused him, Kurt liked kissing Sebastian and that was enough to make his mind up.

Kurt cleared his throat, which made Sebastian chuckle at him playfully. Kurt inched his head upwards to their lips could meet and as soon at their lips touched, Sebastian responded to the kiss. Sebastian kept his mouth closed to a point, thankfully,because as much as Kurt wanted to unleash a bit more passion, they were in a public place. When the kiss ended, Sebastian winked at Kurt and voiced his thanks, and Kurt was left feeling slightly dazed but in a good sort of way.

Sebastian released Kurt and handed him one of his own outfit choices. "Here, try these on; I think you'll like the end result," Sebastian said in that dangerously seductive voice of his.

Kurt took the offered clothes; welcoming the excuse to stop looking at Sebastian's beckoning gaze, and headed back into the changing room. Once he was out of view Kurt let out a quiet sigh; that kiss had been a lot hotter than he'd expected. The kiss itself wasn't even that sizzling, and yet Sebastian had still managed set Kurt's heart ablaze.

Kurt eyed the pair of dark navy jeans Sebastian had given him warily. "Are you sure these jeans at the right size, Sebastian?"

"They're skinny jeans Kurt, and why you haven't been wearing them already is beyond me. Legs like yours need to be displayed in full fitted glory and the same can be said for your sweet ass." Sebastian heard Kurt's snort of derision. "Just put them on and you'll get used to the tightness soon enough," Sebastian instructed.

Kurt rolled his eyes at the obvious use of a double entendre."Do you need to make everything you say sound like a come on, Sebastian?"

"When it's with you I do." When Kurt didn't say anything in response right away, Sebastian then added, "How else can I make my intentions with you perfectly clear?"

Kurt chose to ignore Sebastian's comment so he could redress himself. After he managed to pull the skinny jeans up over his hips he discovered they weren't as uncomfortably snug as he'd originally feared. His movement felt slightly restricted by them but it wasn't anything Kurt couldn't handle. Kurt looked at his reflected and instantly noted the difference. _'Sebastian's right, these skinny jeans are doing wonders for me.' _Now that Kurt's bottom half was properly attired, Kurt went wanted to see the rest of himself dressed in a similar fashion.

The oxford shirt Sebastian had selected was a slightly lighter navy than his jeans and it had thin white vertical stripes running down it. The simplistic design went perfectly with the overall semi-casual look Sebastian had obviously been going for. How did Sebastian do it? How could he tell what would work on people so effortlessly? What secrets did the young designer know and how had he come to learn them in the first place?

"Doing okay in there, Kurt?" Sebastian suddenly asked.

"I'm good, thanks! Just the sweater to go now," Kurt said hastily.

"That's actually a cardigan; a shawl collar cardigan to be exact," Sebastian corrected.

Kurt, who had just finished adjusting the said cardigan on himself, instantly beamed at his handsome reflection. "Well whatever it's called; I love it! They grey's so rich in colour and it feels so soft to the touch." He couldn't stop stroking it actually, until he realized how silly he looked and he stopped. "Nicely done, Sebastian, it's like you know me so well... already... how is that?"

"It's a gift," Sebastian said.

Kurt stepped out of the changing room and any doubts he had were quickly rendered moot when Sebastian's eyes hungerly scanned over his body. Kurt followed his gaze as the designer circled Kurt around; he seemed to be paying proper attention to Kurt's clothes now though. As Sebastian made his assessment, Kurt patiently awaited his verdict, or that had been the plan, until Sebastian went so far as to lightly pinch Kurt's left butt cheek.

"Hands off, Sebastian!" Kurt hissed.

"Sorry about that Kurt, I just wanted to check the fit of the jeans."

"Sure you did. Do excuses like that ever work for you?"

"Who says it hasn't this time?" countered Sebastian, who was smirking merrily away; was he ever unhappy?

Whatever comment (flirtatious or otherwise) Sebastian had planned to make was quickly interrupted when a man walked between the pair and glared at them with dagger eyes as he passed to claim the dressing room on the far right. Sebastian ignored the less than subtle message and smiled at Kurt as soon as grumpypants was out of sight. But since he was still probably within earshot Sebastian seemed to be more willing to behave.

"So tell me what you think of the outfit, Kurt? I mean, it's obvious that you look amazing but how do you feel wearing something like this?" Sebastian asked.

Kurt stepped in front of the outside three-way mirror to study himself. The outfit wasn't as formal as the suits he'd borrowed back at the studio, but there were still a large step up from his usual frumpy clothing choices. Kurt could actually picture himself wearing this outfit to school without causing a big reaction from people. He might even get a compliment or two; if he were to be that idealistic.

"I feel... good... comfortable and yet not too outlandish," Kurt said, wondering if that made any sense.

Sebastian seemed to understand him anyway and that pleased Kurt, who usually felt no one ever got what he was trying to say, no matter how direct his words were.

"More confident?" Sebastian questioned.

"I'm not so sure about that, but I like it and I think it works, so isn't that good enough?" Kurt playfully countered.

Sebastian chuckled, "At this early stage? Yes, that's more than all right. That's one outfit down now. Ready to try our luck with another, Kurt?"

"As long as it's one of your choices again and not one of mine."

By the end of the shopping portion of their date, Kurt and Sebastian managed to find three separate sets of clothing that were all interchangeable, giving him so many different combinations that his options felt endless. Kurt was left quite broke in consequence but at least he felt that his was money well spent. All of this was thanks to Sebastian, who didn't try to push his luck with Kurt by flirting too eagerly with him for the remainder of the trying on period.

But now that their mission was complete, Sebastian had reverted back to his old habits and it hadn't taken him much to lure Kurt into his convertible to spend the last leg of their date in a much more gratifying way. Kurt never would've thought he'd so easily agree to making out with a boy in his car, or that he'd enjoy it this much either. But Sebastian seemed to known the right pace to set things as they kissed one another. Sebastian kept his hands at bay, only allowing himself to slightly tease Kurt's body with his touch and never letting it be below the belt. This meant that Kurt felt comfortable enough to keep going, and little by little, his inner passions were released. It didn't even cross his mind that someone might stumble upon him and Sebastian either; he was that joyfully oblivious.

"Kurt Hummel, are you ever a tough guy to figure out. I seriously thought I might not get anywhere with you tonight, but I was happily proven wrong," Sebastian said, almost giddily. "All I hoped for was for you to be up for a long goodbye kiss."

Kurt couldn't explain why he had suddenly climbed into Sebastian's lap to straddle him; his body had just acted on its own. "It doesn't sound like you're complaining much to me."

"Why the fuck would I?"

"I have to admit, I honestly don't know what's gotten into me," Kurt admitted shyly. "I've never acted this aggressively before..."

"Well you've probably never had someone be this into you. I didn't mean that as an innuendo either, before you accuse me of that."

Kurt laughed and shifted his body into a more comfortable position. Sebastian watched him with interest; waiting for his date to make the next move.

"You better not give me any hickeys though," Kurt warned, kissing him hard on the mouth.

"Wanna give me one instead then?" Sebastian asked, catching Kurt totally off guard with the request.

Kurt came to a dead stop and gape at him. "What?"

"Admit it, the idea of sucking on my neck has to be a turn on for you, because it sure is for me."

Sebastian was totally right and they both knew it; the idea of marking Sebastian did thrill Kurt, who could barely believe he was having the chance to finally do such a thing. Now if only he could get his common sense on board with the idea, Kurt would be ready to try his luck.

"And you do sorta owe me for being so nice to you during our shopping trip," Sebastian pointed out.

"You seriously want to cash in for a hickey?"

Sebastian smiled at Kurt before giving him a quick peck on the lips to stop him from scowling so much. "Yep." As if to further convince him, Sebastian began to lightly kiss the side of Kurt's neck, making sure not to linger long enough that he would actually leave a mark.

Kurt's eyes rolled up into the back of his head from the pleasure he felt in result. It wasn't like the idea was the least bit unappealing and Sebastian had had the sense to park in a secluded enough area that they were well hidden from view.

Eventually Kurt's desire to experience something new overruled his voice of reason and he just went for it. Kurt kissed Sebastian lips first, just to set the proper mood before his subsequent kisses gravitated to the side of Sebastian's neck. There Kurt began to test his technique and figure out the correct amount of suction needed as he kissed Sebastian's neck over and over. As he did this, Sebastian kept quiet (save for the odd moan), letting Kurt do his thing, though still encouraging his date in his own way by stroking Kurt's back.

Kurt stopped to check his handy work and he smiled proudly at the red circle that was already beginning to show. He soon noticed Sebastian's irresistible come hither look and that was it; he was done for. Sebastian grabbed Kurt by his hips as their mouths came together again, kissing him deeply and that's when Kurt's mind went blank. Nothing mattered but the feel of Sebastian's lips against his. He couldn't get enough of Sebastian; kissing him, holding him close, and the feeling of security that came along with his presence - all of it.

Kurt could have gone on like this forever, if not for the fact that he was becoming dangerously close to getting a boner. No matter how adventurous Kurt was trying to be, he wasn't ready to lose his virginity in a convertible and he doubted that Sebastian would suggest it anyway.

Just when Kurt was about to force himself to admit that he was getting in over his head, Sebastian froze mid kiss. Had Sebastian somehow sensed that Kurt was reaching his limit or was he in the same boat? The answer came once Sebastian brought out his cellphone and Kurt rolled his eyes; curse the person who ever thought that mobile phones were the way of the future.

Sebastian answered the call and ignored Kurt's icy glare. "You've reached Sebastian Smythe; talk to me," he casually replied.

Annoyed, Kurt rolled off of Sebastian's lap and pretended not to care that Sebastian had suddenly abandoned him for whomever was on the other line. He couldn't hear anything the person was saying but something told him that it was a guy.

"You still haven't had enough of me yet, Brent? Can't say I'm surprised..." Sebastian listened to the man's reply for a moment; Kurt didn't like the way he was smirking, not one bit. "Tonight? Hmm… I think I can squeeze you in."

Was Sebastian actually making plans to hook up with some guy when Kurt was still with him? That Bastard! He couldn't believe it, or actually, as Kurt thought about it more, he really should have expected it. Suddenly Kurt was no longer disillusioned by Sebastian, who up until just now had been very close to winning over his heart. If Sebastian thought that Kurt would stand for such treatment and not take offence, well then, he was about to get a much needed reality check.

Kurt abruptly opened the car door and stepped outside, storming off without so much as uttering a word. It was only a fifteen minute walk to home, and he didn't feel like getting back in the car to let Sebastian drive him home. Sebastian quickly ended the call and got out of the car himself, but didn't attempt to chase after his fleeing date. "Someone's jealous." It wasn't a question but more of a statement and that was a very bad call on Sebastian's part.

"You think?" Kurt grumbled, not bothering to look back at him.

"I'll admit the call was badly placed but I hardly had any say in that."

"You didn't have to answer it at all!" Nothing Sebastian was saying made Kurt want to forgive him. This was why trusting people so easily was a bad idea; no amount of charm should make up for Sebastian's inability to commit.

"We have no obligations to each other, Kurt," Sebastian said.

Suddenly Kurt couldn't hold his sharp tongue any longer; if Sebastian wanted to talk then he was about to get an earful. Kurt turned around to face him but when their eyes met Kurt merely scowled at his smug grin. "You could have at least waited until our date was over," he snapped begrudgingly.

"And have you eye me suspiciously through the rest of it? No thank you. I'm a direct person Kurt, I'm not about to lie to someone just to make them feel better. Since we've met I have had sex with other men and there's nothing wrong with that. The only thing that would make it wrong is if I weren't up front with you about it. I'm not about to go celibate as you try to decide if you even want me or not."

"Do you think this is easy for me? To suddenly have to sort out my feelings for you? Sorry if I didn't realize I had a time limit."

"Whatever you're expecting from me, just do us both and favour and forget it. I'm not perfect, far from it actually and I'd be the first one to admit that. I'm a hot mess, Kurt. I'm interested in you, but I'm not going to change who I am just so I can be good enough for you. If you still want me after you realize all of my shortcomings then I'm all for it, but I'm not going to stop sleeping around until that moment does or doesn't come," Sebastian explained.

Little did Sebastian know that Kurt did want him, he just didn't know to what end yet. He was utterly clueless when it came to romance and yet Kurt still felt that he wasn't the causal relationship sort of guy. He wanted something more than that, at least, that's what his lonely heart was telling him. However selfishly Sebastian had conducted himself; he was right (frustratingly), Sebastian wasn't cheating on him. Still, Kurt felt that his anger over Sebastian agreeing to having a sex with a guy during their date was more than justified.

"You should still be more discreet, I'm not asking you to lie or anything, but there is the matter of principle, Sebastian."

"So where do we stand here, Kurt? Just so I know. If you don't want us to go on any more dates then just say so and I'll back off and respect that wish," Sebastian asked as he inched closer to Kurt.

"I want to spend time with you still Sebastian, and go on more dates... but nothing aside from that for now; I'm still confused," Kurt said honestly.

"I am sorry for taking the call like that; it was a dick move. The only explanation that comes to mind is I haven't met someone like you before, Kurt. Someone who makes my heart race whenever I see you, someone I think about even when they're not around." Sebastian broke eye contact with Kurt for a moment, rubbing the back of his neck before looking straight at him. "So tell me Kurt, do you feel like you're being pulled in so many directions whenever I'm with you too? And is that feeling sometimes so strong that it makes you want scream? I'm so used to being in control of my emotions; nothing gets to me and yet since from the moment we first met it seems like nothing makes sense anymore. But then all I need it do it see your smiling face and suddenly none of that matters, because when I'm with you, the rest of the world fades into the background."

Kurt could hardly believe it; it was as if Sebastian had reached deep into his mind and read the thoughts even he hadn't fully registered yet. But as he heard Sebastian confess them now, the sudden realization hit him hard. Kurt's eyes watered and his lip quivered. No! He wouldn't break down and begin to cry. He took a deep breath and in the spur of the moment, chose speak with the same honesty that Sebastian had just delivered.

"Since I've met you Sebastian, I feel like my entire world's been turned upside down and I like it. Me, the man who normally hates change with a burning passion, because the ordinary may be boring but it's also safe. You thrill me Sebastian; you're like a shock to my system. You make me feel things I've never felt before, that I thought weren't even possible for me. I find myself craving to be with you – all the time – I want you near me, kissing me, talking to me and touching me. I used to hate intimacy, because the amount of trust it would require scared me... but I don't feel that way with you, Sebastian." Kurt stopped to catch his breath before he dared to go on. "Does this mean that I'm falling in love with you? I have no idea... I have no past experiences with love to guide me along. I'm going into this utterly blind." Kurt wished he had Sebastian's skill with words; everything he'd just said sounded so pathetic to him.

"I'm not some fragile thirteen-year-old Kurt, I don't need you to love me, in spite of my own feelings for you," Sebastian said cryptically.

But Kurt was having none of that, so he asked, "What does that mean?"

"Sorry Kurt, I'm not telling you shit until you can ask me that with enough sincerity that it's actually believable. Just remember what I told you before; the ball's in your court, it's up to you what pace we take as we get to know each other better," Sebastian said.

"So if it turns out badly, I'll be the one to blame?"

"I doubt it will to come to that. Try not to be so dramatic all the time Kurt, it must be exhausting for you."

"Can't you say anything without sounding offensive?" Kurt complained. Of course, there had been times when Sebastian could talk and not sound like a dick, Kurt just chose not to acknowledge them right now.

As if Sebastian had taken Kurt's word as a challenge, he pushed his body close to Kurt's and ran his hand down his shoulder. "I've never felt like this before, Kurt," he whispered softly.

"Neither have I," Kurt said.

"Do you still want to be our model, Kurt? Knowing that in doing so you'll be forced to deal with me, regardless of where our feelings for each other might take us? It's not too late, you can back out now if you're having second thoughts. I don't want you resenting me if things don't turn out the way you'd expected."

Kurt straightened his body to stand to his full height and held his head with such a high air of superiority that it was as if the few inches Sebastian had over him didn't exist. His determination had never been so visible before; his eyes were almost burning with it and it was enough to render Sebastian dumbfounded.

"I'm not going anywhere Sebastian, I'm going to be your model and I am going to give you everything I have," Kurt said.

Sebastian gave Kurt a quick peck on the lips and beamed at him proudly. "I'm gonna hold you to that, Kurt." He withdrew from Kurt's personal space and started to head back to his convertible. "I dunno about you but I'd say this is a good point to end our date. I'd kiss you goodbye but I'm not really feeling the mood here anymore."

Kurt nodded, though he felt no joy in doing so. "Are you going to meet up with Brent tonight still?" He hadn't been able to stop himself in time not to ask Sebastian that.

"Yes I am; I wanna fuck tonight and I see no reason to deny myself the pleasure," Sebastian answered casually.

"Go right on ahead then, because I don't wanna to be just some random fuck to you, Sebastian."

Sebastian turned on his heels to face Kurt and he smiled at him playfully. "You would never be that to me, Kurt. If we got together; I'd treat you right and fully commit."

"So if I asked you to be my boyfriend then you'd do it? You'd be faithful?"

"I would and I'd treasure you Kurt, with all my heart."

"Why the hell are you going to have sex with some other guy then?"

"Because humans are as complex as they are flawed, Kurt. Now I think we really should say goodnight now. If you still wanna talk to me in the morning then I'll be only too happy to continue our discussion then."

Kurt had planned to just let Sebastian go without saying anything else but he couldn't leave things between them feeling so vague. "Sebastian!" Kurt called to him when he was about to pull out his convertible.

Sebastian rolled down the window as Kurt jogged over to him; he seemed very surprised at Kurt's sudden change of heart. "Miss me already?" he teased.

"Do you have any plans on Saturday? We could go on another date then, and who knows, the third one could be the charm for us," Kurt asked.

It didn't escape Kurt that going on another date with Sebastian wasn't a very good idea, especially considering what had just happened. Two days wasn't a lot of time to sort out his feelings either but hopefully without Sebastian there to confuse him, he'd manage somehow.

"Sure, Call me," Sebastian said.

"I don't have your number yet," Kurt reminded him.

"Oh that's right. I could give it to you now if you like; that way you can call me to plan our date."

"I'll save your number as soon as you call me."

Sebastian laughed, "Fine, have it your way. I could use a change of pace."

Kurt turned away from Sebastian and headed off in the opposite direction, trying not to think where Sebastian was going, or whom he was going to_ do_.

At the time Kurt had thought not asking Sebastian for his number was a smart idea, because it meant that Sebastian would have to make the first move for once. But what Kurt hadn't counted on was Sebastian not even making the effort to call him. It was the day after their date had ended so badly and Kurt hadn't gotten so much as a word from Sebastian. Was he trying to play hard to get or something? Or was he punishing Kurt for his attempts to get the upper hand? The real question Kurt should have been asking himself was why he was bothering with someone as infuriating as Sebastian! Screw attraction. If that smug bastard was bent on turning this into some power trip then Kurt should start having serious second thoughts about the man.

If that wasn't enough, Kurt was discovering that the longer he stayed out of contact with Sebastian, the clearer his feelings were becoming. There was simply no denying it now; Kurt did like the self absorbed designer, both romantically and physically. That didn't mean that Kurt was about to cater to Sebastian's every whim though, especially this one. Sebastian could sleep with all the gay men in Chicago before he'd cave and ask one of his friends for Sebastian's number.

That still didn't help Kurt's current conundrum; how to cure a lonely heart. It was only Thursday night and Kurt was aching to see him again.

"Oh god, it is love, isn't it?" he asked aloud.

This was one equation Kurt couldn't solve by looking it up in a textbook, nor did he have anyone he could ask for advice. Sugar and Unique would probably love to help, but he couldn't bring himself to ask them. Another thing he wouldn't allow himself to do was run away from his feelings. Forgetting about Sebastian wasn't an option either, not when he'd agreed to be their model for the show.

Kurt ran his fingers through his hair as he leaned forward on the bed. "I can't keep this up for much longer..." He wondered if Sebastian's number was listed but he doubted it; that would have been too easy.

Then, just when Kurt was about to lose all hope of Sebastian ever calling him, his cell phone buzzed on his night stand. Kurt made a mad dive for it; he knew somehow that it was Sebastian calling him and not Sugar or Unique (the only two other people who would call him when he was home). "Why didn't you call me sooner! You big idiot!" Kurt demanded, not even bothering to greet Sebastian at all.

"Do you think it's easy for me to hold myself back? Did it ever cross your mind that I'm as confused as you? Not to mention the pressure I'm under not to screw this up for once," Sebastian blurted with surprising vulnerability.

Kurt's building anger left him as quickly as it had come; he hadn't thought about Sebastian's feelings at all. He'd been too busy focusing on his own trials and tribulations to consider anyone else's.

"I miss you," Kurt whispered.

"Come to the Atelier please. _Right now_. I need to see you."

Hearing the desperation in Sebastian's shaky voice sent chills down Kurt's spine. "I'm heading there now. Wait for me, okay." With a mad dash Kurt raced out of his room towards the front door. Even if his parents were home to see his strange behaviour he still wouldn't have stopped. He was a man on a mission. Kurt only made himself calm down so he wouldn't keel over or freak people out as he ran to catch his bus on time. When he finally made it to the studio Kurt found Sebastian waiting at the base of the stairs.

At his arrival, Sebastian looked up, smiled at him. "Took you long enough."

Absence might make the heart grow fonder but that didn't mean Kurt was about to throw himself in Sebastian's waiting arms. For one thing Sebastian was standing with his hands shoved into his pockets, and yet Kurt still felt so strongly pulled towards him.

"Hey I'm here, aren't I?" Kurt replied; my was he feeling sassy.

"I knew you'd come."

Kurt rolled his eyes, though he still made his way down the stairs. "The world doesn't revolve around you Sebastian, no matter what you may like to believe. You shouldn't expect me to feel grateful for every compliment you give me, or every kiss we share – like you're doing me some kind of favour. If we're going to be anything to each other that goes beyond friends, then you really need to get off that high horse of yours and see me as who I am: an equal – not a protege."

"I can do that," Sebastian said, grinning until Kurt scowled at him. "Sorry but you're turning me on. I gotta say Kurt, I'm liking this new bossy side of you a whole lot."

"Truth time, Sebastian; I might not be ready to come fully out of the closet yet but I am finally ready to admit that what I want is to start a relationship with you -a real one."

"I'll be your boyfriend Kurt, as long as you'll be mine."

There was only two steps between them now; all Kurt had to do was take one final step and Sebastian could pull him close – or vice versa. But he held himself back, just for a moment longer. Could Sebastian be opening himself up to Kurt and revealing a part of himself few had ever seen? There was the risk that Kurt was merely fooling himself but if he and Sebastian were to have any chance, then he would need to trust him.

"I'll be your boyfriend Sebastian, as long as _you're_ sure that's what _you_ really want."

Sebastian's eyes never left Kurt's face as he climbed one step, bringing them almost parallel to one another. Beaming, with heart eyes ablaze, Sebastian gently touched the side of Kurt's cheek and smiled at him lovingly. "Considering that I'm head over heels in love with you, I'd say that's exactly what I want, Kurt. I'm pretty sure that it was love at first sight for me and those feelings began before I'd even had the pleasure of meeting you in person."

Sebastian paused to wink flirtatiously at Kurt, a classic move no doubt but the feeling that came along with the compliment made filled Kurt with warmth. He smiled back bashfully, it was all he could manage; his heart was a flutter. He couldn't believe this was actually happening to him, it wasn't a dream, Sebastian right before his very eyes, ready to speak his heart at long last.

"Long ago – before the contest even – I had formed this image in my mind, and at the time I thought it was just the type of model I sought to find but now I realize it was really the man of my dreams. The person I had always longed to have in my life and when I saw your photo, suddenly it was like I was looking at the physical embodiment of that vision." Sebastian let out a cute laugh before looking away from Kurt. The break of eye contact lasted only a minute but it showed Kurt that Sebastian's confidence wasn't as strong as he'd once assumed.

"At first I didn't think you could live up to my expectations, because there you were, this shell of a person who refused to embrace your hidden potential. And yet as soon as we met; that was it – I was hooked. I know the idea of falling in love with an image is crazy but that's just what love is like; sometimes it makes no sense at all, it just is. Those first initial feelings only began to strengthened as we encountered one another more. There's just something about you Kurt, and I cannot wait to see what that could be." Sebastian stopped for a moment to squeeze Kurt's shoulders with his hand. "Though no pressure of course." When Kurt relaxed enough to chuckle in response, Sebastian then went on. "What I'm trying to say is; I love you, Kurt."

"I love you too." The words came so naturally to Kurt that they just flowed out of his mouth without thinking. Kurt smiled warmly as soon as he finished, wrapping his arms around Sebastian's shoulders after leaning forward slightly. "I almost wish I didn't, at least not this suddenly but I suppose there's no helping it; the heart wants what the heart wants. Guess this means I'm getting a crash course about love." With a start Kurt realized that maybe he should have considered his words a bit more, or else he might become single again if he weren't careful.

Luckily for him, Sebastian laughed affectionately in reply. "That goes second for me Kurt; I'm just as hopeless when it comes to love. But that's probably a good thing, since it means we'll be on even ground," Sebastian said.

Their level footing also meant that Kurt and Sebastian's faces were at the perfect angle to kiss, and the newly formed couple spent barely a moment gazing hungrily at one another before coming together. Kurt tightened his grip around Sebastian's shoulders as they kissed each other passionately. His heart was racing and the temperature in his body was beginning to climb.

Totally involved in the enthralling experience as kissing one another as boyfriends, Sebastian and Kurt clumsily shuffled backwards to come off of the stairs. The fact that they didn't tumble to the ground in the process was a testament of their sense of balance – that and their tight grip on one another.

Sebastian kept pulling at Kurt even once they were off the stairs. He seemed to have somewhere in mind to go and the location turned out to be the door to the studio, although Sebastian only used it to rest his back against. Kurt didn't mind that at all as he was pulled towards his boyfriend so they could lock lips once more. Whenever Kurt had seen couples making out in public he'd thought it was gross but now he saw the appeal. That didn't mean he'd stoop to their level, no matter how good it felt to kiss Sebastian. But at the moment there was no one around to disapprove of their intense show of affection, so Kurt was happy to oblige his and Sebastian mutually yearning for each other – to a certain degree anyway.

"I can't get enough of you," Sebastian murmured under his breath.

"Sorry, you can't get enough of _what_?" Kurt asked innocently.

"Kissing you, and believe me, I've kissed my share of boys-"

"- I'm gonna stop you there. I realize you've kissed a lot of guys, but could you maybe not tell me this now? 'Cause I would liked to keep making out with you."

Sebastian snorted and and focused on using his mouth for something other than talking. As if he were trying to make up for his near mishap, Sebastian switched to open mouth kissing and he used just enough tongue to liven things up. Little by little Kurt began to notice Sebastian's tactics and mimicked them as well, but still changing things up to keep things interesting.

Time seemed to stop for the pair as they became more attuned with one another and what worked for them best. Kurt already got the sense that Sebastian found his neck particularly alluring, given his tendency to keep kissing him there. Kurt hardly minded this though, because said spot was proving to be quite a sensitive erogenous zone (thank goodness for Sebastian's keen intuition). It made Kurt wonder what sweet spots he might discover in the near future.

It also made Kurt wonder if there was a big difference between casual sex without emotional connection as opposed to sex with feeling? '_Who_ _cares_ _about_ _that_ _right_ _now_?' Kurt told himself impatiently. Sex of any kind was still ways off for them, so such thoughts could wait for a more appropriate time.

They eventually took a quick breather and Kurt tried not to smile too much but he couldn't help it. And really, why should he hide his current happiness anyway? Sebastian sure wasn't, and his new boyfriend's giddy smile was quite infectious.

"Do you think this will affect our working relationship?" Kurt playfully asked.

"I shouldn't think so; not when there's no money involved. The worse that could happen is having to live through our friends' extreme reactions to the news," Sebastian answered. He smiled at Kurt, who was now tearing up with emotion for some reason. "Why are you crying?" Sebastian couldn't think of a single thing he'd done to cause Kurt's sudden mood swing.

Kurt let out an awkward laugh at first; making Sebastian even more confused. What had he gotten himself into when he'd fallen for Kurt?

"It just suddenly hit me that I have friends now, and people who care about me and like me for who I am and care who I'm dating."

Out of all the people Kurt could have fallen in love with, he would have never imagined that person would be someone like Sebastian. Kurt told himself that their love wasn't due to convenience either. The fact that Sebastian was the first one to ever show any interest in him was mere coincidence (or possibly fate, if he were to be that romantic). The chemistry between them and the connection that they had already started to form was nothing Kurt would have believed possible. Whenever he read about love in books or saw it in movies, he always thought it was unbelievably portrayed. As if two people could meet unexpectedly and just fall in love at the drop of the hat. Emotions were complex and social attachments seemed exhausting, which was why Kurt had always steered clear of such things.

"You're impossible," Kurt said finally, giving him a quick kiss just for the sake of it.

"And yet you still love me," Sebastian replied.

"So just that we're clear, you understand what I we're agreeing to? That becoming boyfriends means we're exclusive..."

"I thought we already went over this?"

"We did. I just wanted to run it by you again just to be totally sure, since remaining faithful will be less of a stretch for me."

Sebastian laughed, "Are you calling me easy?"

"No of course not," Kurt cooed.

"Commitment won't be an issue for me," Sebastian assured him. "Remember when I said I find virgins tiresome? Well I still feel that way, but I don't want us to have sex until you're ready for that level of intimacy, but all of this-holding myself back, having feelings for someone, taking things slow- is new for me. I love you, Kurt, and that means I'm willing to wait for the right moment to come along. I want your first time to be special, not only because I care about you, but because it's also going to be my first time with you. Though I seriously hope you don't plan to hold out for months on end on that front. I'm only human after all."

Kurt felt a wave of emotion wash over him; even now doubt fought to find a way into his fragile heart. "Sebastian, how can you love me when I don't even know who I am yet?"

Sebastian first looped his arms through Kurt's to rest around his waist; smiling at his boyfriend until Kurt's frown cracked into a weak grin. "Because I love all parts of you Kurt, and as soon as you learn to do the same you'll see that the man you think you are and the man you want to become aren't so different from one another." He kissed Kurt softly; he figured they had both talked enough for now.

"Wait," Kurt muttered, pulling his head back all of a sudden.

Sebastian forced himself to stop and not seem too annoyed by Kurt's sudden hesitance.

"I'm not ready to come out to my parents or anyone at school yet, so I need to know if you're okay with that or not," Kurt admitted awkwardly.

At first all Sebastian did was pinch the sides of his sinus with his forefingers; the question seemed to much for Sebastian to just idly answer. That could be taken as an encouraging sign, but for all Kurt knew, Sebastian might be thinking of the most gentle way to break up with him now.

"I can't say the idea thrills me, but I do understand why you feel the need to go that way. But you should know that I'm not going to hide around for you and pretend we're just good friends. I want to be affectionate with you Kurt; I want to be able to hold your hand when the urge strikes me and not just when nobody's around. And if a guy hits on me or asks me out then I'd like to be able to say I have a boyfriend and not have to keep his name a secret either. So while I'm okay with you waiting until you're ready to come out officially, I don't want our relationship to be something you feel the need to hide, Kurt."

"It won't be," Kurt replied.

Sebastian turned away from Kurt, but he didn't go very far. "So if someone were to ask you if you were gay and had a boyfriend, what would you do?"

"I would tell them the truth and maybe even go onto say that I'm utterly and hopelessly in love with Sebastian Smythe."

Sebastian nuzzled his head against the softness of Kurt's neck and breathed him in. Kurt closed his eyes as he savoured the tender moment; Sebastian's body felt so warm against his own. He didn't mind that the sexual tension between them had dropped. Not when what had replaced it felt so wonderfully romantic and real.

"I'm so glad I met you, Sebastian," Kurt whispered softly.

"Me too," Sebastian said.

All of a sudden there was a loud thud against the door and the young couple jumped in surprise but Sebastian brought his fingers to his lips and went 'shh' to Kurt and he quickly complied.

"There's something blocking the door; it won't open," Puck's loud voice trailed through the door.

Sebastian braced himself against the door, throwing as much weight as he could to keep Puck from being able to open it, and Kurt couldn't help but snicker (as well as add his own strength to help).

"Sebastian! Take whoever the fuck you've got out there to your place and let us out!" Puck shouted angrily.

Kurt narrowed his eyes at hearing this; just how many guys had Sebastian brought to the studio? Probably more than Kurt wanted to consider, but whatever the number, _he_ was the one Sebastian had chosen to make his boyfriend.

"What was that? I should let you out so we can fuck? Unfortunately Noah, you've just missed your chance; I'm officially off the market now, and any complaints should be directed at Kurt, since he's the one who's beaten you to it," Sebastian called back.

The last thing Kurt had expected Sebastian to do was declare his and Kurt's new relationship status so out of the blue (and at Puck's expense too). It caught him totally off guard, so much that he staggered backwards and away from Sebastian, making it possible for Puck to finally push the door open.

Sebastian, who clearly hadn't bet on Kurt letting go of him so suddenly, was thrown right into line of fire. He and Puck fell on to the ground with a loud crash. It was hard for Kurt to hear, because he was laughing so hard in surprise, but he swore he heard Sebastian say something along the lines of 'couldn't wait to go down on me huh?' But whatever had actually been said, it was enough to make Puck quickly untangle himself from Sebastian so he could stand up on his own.

"I can't believe that's how you're telling them!" Kurt exclaimed in disbelief, he wasn't actually mad at Sebastian, just surprised. _'But the cat is out of bag now, so that's one job done at least.'_

A pink blur rushed straight towards Kurt, who was quickly pulled into Sugar's tight embrace. "Sugar, I can't breathe," he wheezed, gasping for air.

Unique came to Kurt's rescue and loosened Sugar's fierce grip on him. "Try not to crush his ribs Sugar, Kurt's going to to need all the stamina he can get if he and Sebastian are dating now."

"I'm so going to enjoy watching Seb try to hold onto a boyfriend for once," Puck said, grinning smugly at Sebastian.

Kurt smiled and accepted his friend's words of congratulations; let them all joke and tease about Sebastian's lack of relationship skills all they liked. He knew it was all in fun and besides, it wasn't as if Kurt was any better off. As he stood there basking in the glow of happiness, Kurt suddenly wanted dress for the occasion. To his utter delight, as soon as Kurt voiced this to his new boyfriend, Sebastian explained that he knew just the thing.

This led to Sebastian bringing Kurt to the studio's main closet and his eyes widened as soon as the doors opened; wall to wall Paradis Bise couture – more garments than he could begin to count. There was both men's and women's clothing inside and all of it fabulous. He couldn't believe they were all hand made and not store bought! Kurt had expected Sebastian to select the outfit he hand in mind by now, but he hadn't moved from his place behind Kurt yet. What was he playing at? Had Sebastian simply changed his mind, or did he have something else up his sleeve? The answer to Kurt's query came when Sebastian informed his boyfriend that he should really pick something himself. That suited Kurt just fine, even if he felt slightly intimidated, but he knew he could do this. They were just clothes after all, even if they all looked so amazing.

The short sleeved button up shirt Kurt eventually decided on was teal in colour, and he thought it would go nicely with his new skinny jeans. On the off chance he was wrong, Kurt thought it would be wise to get a second opinion still and fortunately Sebastian hadn't gone very far. "Good?" he asked, turning around to hold the shirt out for Sebastian to inspect.

Much to Kurt's relief, Sebastian nodded instantly and even went so far as to peck him on the lips in approval. "Nicely done, Kurt; the colour suits you." He smiled at Kurt lovingly for a minute, before stepping aside. "I'll leave you so you can head to the bathroom and change in peace." Sebastian bowed gracefully in front of Kurt, who giggled as he passed his boyfriend by to do just that.

Receiving Sebastian's praise (if it could even be called that) felt ridiculously addictive and yet Kurt knew he shouldn't try to seek it all the time. After all, Kurt still had no idea what Sebastian had envisioned when it came to his ideal man (or model), and he didn't know if he would ever live up to that image. But that was okay, because Sebastian didn't expect him to; he loved Kurt for who he was – even if he was still a work in progress. So Kurt would vow to do the same; he would adore Sebastian regardless of his faults and shortcomings, and simply be with him -happy and in love.

But all Kurt wanted to do for now was put on a more appropriate shirt so he could rejoin his friends.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Fabric shopping it seemed, at least when Sebastian was leading the charge, was no easy undertaking. Nothing the group had come across was good enough for the young designer, who rejected bolt after bolt of fabric. Now that the material for the main piece had at last been found and after yesterday's romantic distractions, Friday was commandeered for a one last desperate attempt to find a suitable printed accent fabric. But after the group had gone to every fabric store in the Loop, they had still come up empty handed.

The band of friends had stopped at a nearby playground to regroup and consider their options, which appeared to be slim to none at this point. In all honesty, Kurt got the feeling that the others had only agreed to rest for a moment just so they could try to make Sebastian listen to reason.

"If you keep turning everything down then we'll be totally boned," Puck said.

"And not in the good way," Kurt joked, though he instantly regretted it.

"I still think the bolt we put on hold at the last store is our best bet. It compliments the main fabric and Angel's skin tone perfectly, even you said that, Sebastian," Unique said.

"But it's solid and I wanted something printed for the contrasting fabric," Sebastian reminded them all.

"You can't keep saying that Sebby; we've run out of shops! And we don't have enough time to look online either!" Sugar moaned from her spot sitting on a nearby swing.

"It's just no use, commercial prints lack originality, which is why I rarely bother with them," Sebastian explained.

"Then just go with a plan fabric and save us from this hell!" Puck begged.

The group's pleas of desperation went unheeded as Sebastian rested his head upon Kurt's shoulder; they were seated beside each other on a bench while the rest had claimed the swing set. Kurt hadn't pegged Sebastian as a touchy-feely kind of guy but he certainly didn't mind the discovery. In fact, Kurt not only found himself enjoying casual contact like this, but he was starting to crave it as well. So when Sebastian slipped his hand in Kurt's and laced their fingers together, he just smiled lovingly at his boyfriend and snuggled up to him.

"Sorry but the contrasting fabric has to be printed, it's in my original design," Sebastian said stubbornly.

"Here we go again," Unique muttered, rolling her eyes.

Kurt personally had to agree with the others; Sebastian_ was_ acting quite unreasonable but he felt like it wasn't his place to say so. But since he was both their model and Sebastian's boyfriend, Kurt wanted to offer any help he could still. "Couldn't you just put your own design onto a solid fabric?"

Unique, Puck and Sugar all groaned in unison but it was too late; Sebastian was already grinning at them cunningly. "That's it, Kurt." Sebastian pulled himself up so he could give Kurt a peck on the cheek as a reward. "You see, you're already being useful to me."

"Are you fucking out of your mind, Sebastian? There's only a month left till the show and now you suddenly want to design your own print fabric?" Puck shouted with outrage.

"I'm not suggesting we embroider the print onto the fabric ourselves, we can have it silk screened on. It's also only for the contrasting pieces, so it shouldn't take us too long to get it done," Sebastian ignored Puck's glaring stare and smiled charmingly at Unique and Sugar. "Ladies, please go buy the fabric we put on hold while I go secure the school's silk screen printer for tomorrow," he instructed.

"What about the design?" Puck demanded.

"Leave that to me Noah, I'll whip up something spectacular tonight. Gather up the necessary supplies at the studio for tomorrow too, all right?"

A less mature person may have found their boyfriend dropping them like a cold stone quite irritating, and while Kurt was mildly annoyed with Sebastian's sudden departure; he wasn't all that surprised by it. At least Sebastian had given him a quick kiss goodbye and reminded him about their date tomorrow before leaving. Still, he couldn't help but wonder if this was how things were going to be from now on? Would Sebastian only give Kurt his full attention when it was convenient for him?

"Is he always like this? And by_ this_ I mean being so focused on work that he forgets everything else?" Kurt asked, seeking insight on his boyfriend's more questionable habits.

Sugar stopped swinging back and forth so she could shrug at Kurt. "You get used to it after a while."

"I'm not sure I want to," Kurt muttered under his breath.

After helping his remaining friends get everything back to the studio, Kurt hung out there for a spell. When it was clear to him that Sebastian had no plans to return he decided to head for home. He didn't need Sebastian to be there to enjoy himself of course, but he did need to make his curfew. Kurt managed to clear the front door of his house with seven minutes to spare. His mother was no where in sight; which was a good sign.

_'I shouldn't expect to become the centre of Sebastian's world now that we're dating,'_ Kurt thought as he climbed the stairs to his bedroom.

Sebastian wasn't even ignoring him anyway; he kept sending Kurt flirty text messages throughout the night. At one point he even asked for Kurt's feedback on his design attempts, although Kurt secretly wondered if Sebastian was just humouring him. Eventually Sebastian admitted that he really needed to get back to work and Kurt, who hadn't gotten very far with his studying, was too tired to protest. He pushed himself to finish reading one last chapter of his chemistry textbook before calling it a night. He gave his cell phone one last check, saw that Sebastian hadn't sent him any sneaky text messages and fell asleep as soon as he locked the screen.

_

Kurt apprehensively crept down the stairs of his house; he'd given his outfit for the day his utmost consideration but he was still nervous. He knew he looked good but what would his mother think of her son's spiffy new image? She'd commented on his hair and how he'd tried to improve his dressing habits already, so she was bound to notice this time too. Kurt had chosen one of his more colourful combinations; a camouflage print blue button up shirt and a pair of black skinny jeans.

He saw his mother in the kitchen and he froze dead still; what was he doing? Why was he hesitating in his own house? Seeing how his mom would react was actually a good trial run he realized. With that in mind, Kurt took a deep breath, held it for a second and then let it out slowly as he nonchalantly sat down at the table to eat.

Margaret Hummel handed her son his plate without looking at him properly, only for her to do a double take. Kurt tried his best to remain unaffected as he watched her eyes widened slightly; at least she quickly recovered her composure.

"My, don't you look nice today Kurt, do you have any special plans?" she asked.

Her question sounded innocent enough to Kurt, who had come up with an explanation for this exact reason. "Not really no. I'm going to the library as usual. I just decided I would add a bit more colour to my spring wardrobe. It's been ages since I've bought myself any new clothes. I thought it might brightened my mood a little, which tends to dampen a bit whenever finals are nearing." Not everything he'd just stated was the truth, especially the part about going to the library but it was close enough that he thought she would buy it all.

"I always thought you dressed too drab for your age, Kurt," Margaret agreed.

Kurt almost choked on his cereal in surprise; he never thought his mom would say something like that. Now if only coming out to her could happen just as easily, but he wasn't ready to attempt that yet. Kurt knew he couldn't stall forever, he just wanted to wait for a better moment. So for the time being, Kurt would stick to his plan to keep his lies to a minimum, cover his tracks and most importantly: keep his grades from dropping.

Once his breakfast was eaten Kurt headed off, not to the library as he had told his mom but to the studio. Sugar greeted him happily upon his arrival and quickly began to fill Kurt in on what they were doing. Now that the fabric had finally been bought, Unique was making the last of the patterns and Puck and Sugar were helping her pin them to the fabric. Meanwhile the accent fabric had been bought but those pieces wouldn't be cut until Sebastian finished the print design.

Sebastian was nowhere to be seen and Kurt managed to hide his initial disappointment as he listened to Sugar babble about her day.

"How is the outfit coming along?" Kurt asked when she took a short breather.

"As well as can be expected. As soon as Sebastian brings the design over we'll have it silk screened on and that's when the real grudge work can begin," Sugar explained.

"Which better be today, for all our sakes," Unique said.

"He's going to come up with a complicated mess, I just know it," Puck groaned.

Kurt found it amusing that everyone knew that Sebastian would deliver as promised, even though there wasn't any proof of it yet. "Feel free to put me to work now that I'm here," Kurt told them.

"What about your grades, Angel? From what you've told us, your folks are keeping close tabs on them," Unique questioned.

"I'm not too behind with my schoolwork and I plan to study later on tonight," Kurt began, but he suddenly caught Unique's doubtful expression. "I swear I'm not trying to escape my life by coming here all the time now. I just want it to feel more worthwhile. Until I met all of you, studying was the only world I knew and honestly... I was starting to hate it."

"Oh, please help us out Angel, we need all we can get!" Sugar exclaimed before Unique could say anything else.

Unique merely sighed at Sugar and Kurt's hopeful eyes, and went back to her work. Sugar asked Kurt to help pinning the pattern pieces so Puck could cut the fabric. This arrangement suited Kurt just fine; he didn't trust himself to cut in a straight line. He later made himself even more useful by volunteering to pick loose fabric scraps off of the floor.

Sebastian finally arrived on scene just in time to watch Kurt bend over and put his perfect ass on display. At first Sebastian stared at it admiringly but then he figured he should probably let Kurt know he was there. "What a lovely sight to come home to," Sebastian said dreamily.

Kurt had planned to just turn around and roll his eyes at his boyfriend but then Sebastian had the nerve to sneak in a quick squeeze. Kurt could have gotten angry and hissed in protest, but he didn't want to react so dramatically for once. Instead he calmly rose to face Sebastian, giving him a slight glare to show he was more annoyed than pissed off. "What did I tell you about grabbing my ass, Sebastian?"

"Not in front of the kids?" Sebastian innocently replied.

"Nope. Try again," warned Kurt.

Sebastian grinned at Kurt until his boyfriend's poker faced scowl changed to into a bemused smile and he figured it was safe enough to greet him properly now. "Sorry about that, your ass has a powerful affect on me," he whispered to Kurt before kissing him on the lips. "But shouldn't you be studying instead of playing here with us?"

"Is that what this is to you Sebastian? Just a game?" Unique sassed.

"Games can be both serious and fun," Sebastian told her.

"Please tell me you've finished the design," Sugar said hopefully as she walked over to where they were.

Sebastian nodded. "Was there any ever doubt?" No one bothered to answer though, which wasn't all that surprising really. It hadn't taken Sebastian very long to know when he was close to pushing his friends' limits. "Would you like to see it now?" he asked Sugar enticingly.

"Yes!" Sugar practically screamed.

"I'm too afraid to look at it," Puck said, shuddering.

Luckily Puck was the only one who showed any resistance and the others gathered around for the big reveal. Sebastian made sure Kurt had the best viewpoint of them as he laid the piece of paper that held the design on the table in front of them. Loud gasps of surprise immediately followed, and Sebastian stood back to watch his friend's priceless reactions. He was particularly interested in Kurt, who had yet to see any of his designs (drawn anyway). His blue eyes were sparkling and his mouth left hanging open. Gosh did Sebastian love Kurt's expressive face; there was so much on display that he wished he could study him for hours on end.

"Oh, Sebastian, it's beautiful," Kurt breathed. Flowers opening in full bloom; that's what Kurt saw drawn on the page in black ink. Not only that, but on a closer inspection, Kurt realized that the flowers appeared to be made out of beads (an impressive feat considering they were 2D).

"Capturing beauty is my greatest skill," Sebastian said, winking at his boyfriend.

"You do realize that no one's going to see all this detail on stage, Sebastian," Unique pointed out.

"I'm aware, but that doesn't mean I don't want to go the distance still. I plan to compensate for that very fact as well; the ink we're going to use will have just the hint of metallic shine to it. I did a test yesterday at school and trust me, it's going to make the accent fabric pop and shine," Sebastian explained.

Unique eyed Sebastian warily. "How'd you manage that? From what I know, special inks like that aren't easy to come by."

"Oh, I have my ways," Sebastian began to reply, until he saw Kurt's jealous glare and he patted his boyfriend on the shoulder. "Which were completely non sexual."

"Lucky for us the campus stays open so late; we should start printing the fabric now," Unique advised.

"I'm way ahead of you, Unique. Come on, Noah; there's no time like the present!" Sugar said as she pulled her boyfriend up to stand.

Kurt offered to help Puck load the fabric into his car and when the short task was done he returned to find Sebastian lying on the studio's chaise lounge with his eyes closed. Had he actually fallen asleep? Kurt was tempted to ignore him but if he actually was asleep then that would be pointless (and immature of him). _'He'd better not have forgotten about our date tonight.'_ So far this evening Sebastian hadn't mentioned their dinner plans at all. What did Sebastian expect him to do? Hang on standby until Sebastian chose to pay him any attention? _'No thanks, and no way in hell!'_

"He told me to tell you he's taking a quick power nap," explained Unique, who must have seen Kurt's displeasure towards Sebastian's conduct. "Boy pulled an all-nighter coming up with the design."

Kurt nodded in understanding. Sebastian had implied that as well during their texting last night too. If Kurt kept becoming petty over every little thing Sebastian did then their relationship wouldn't last the week. He reminded himself that Sebastian's passion about his craft was one of the reasons he'd fallen in love with him so quickly._ 'But Sebastian still needs to meet me half way at least.'_

Kurt slowly walked over at Sebastian to gaze at him lovingly. "He looks so cute when he's asleep..."

Sebastian wasn't actually asleep; he had just been laying in wait for his boyfriend to come within reach. His green eyes snapped open at the key moment, pulling Kurt down to join him on the lounge. Kurt giggled at the sudden move but didn't resist and actually snuggled up next to Sebastian when he was finally settled beside him. Sebastian's arms were light draped over his side and their faces were far enough away so they could stare lovingly at each other.

"Missed you," Sebastian whispered.

"You have a funny way of showing it," Kurt said sarcastically.

Sebastian grinned at Kurt but then his expression became more serious. "I'm sure you probably think I've been intentionally ignoring you or something along those lines. And considering my recent actions I can't blame you, at least not fully." Sebastian ran his finger along the side of Kurt's face. "Which is why I need you to know that you're always in my thoughts Kurt; encouraging, moving and inspiring me. You're speedily becoming my greatest muse..."

"I'm never gonna have you fully figured out, am I?" Kurt sighed.

"Don't you usually go to the library on weekends?" Sebastian asked, changing the subject.

"I want to be more than just a bookworm whose life is full of nothing but school work, exams and studying. No one should want that life; it's too small, too closed off, and lonely, Sebastian, I had gotten so used to being alone that it felt safe to me. I don't want that anymore, or rather, I'm finally ready to admit that I never wanted it from the start." As Kurt talked, he felt Sebastian wrap his arms around his waist. Kurt sighed contently before resting his head against Sebastian's chest.

"What do you want then?"

"A lot of things; many of which I haven't figured out yet. But the ones I'm willing to tell you right now are this; I want to help you guys with the outfit, I want to be a part of the creating process..." Kurt let his words trail off so he could look Sebastian directly in the eye; he needed Sebastian to see how badly he wanted these things. "... and I want to be useful."

Sebastian smiled at Kurt and hugged his waist. "You are being useful Kurt; even now your soothing presence is doing wonders for me; isn't that enough?"

"Funnily enough,_ no_," Kurt said flatly. "I'm a person; not somebody's comfort pillow."

"Is that even a thing?"

Instead of answering, because Kurt wasn't about to let Sebastian think snide remarks like that were okay, Kurt rolled his eyes in distaste. He yanked himself out of Sebastian's hold, leaving the designer empty handed and without anyone to cuddle. Kurt ignored his sad green eyes; he deserved it.

"You've seriously gotta stop acting so oversensitive Kurt, we were having such a nice moment together," Sebastian said.

"No, _you_ were having a nice moment Sebastian, I on the other hand was starting to feel used. If you think I'm going to sit around and be at your beck and call-"

"When have I ever treated you like that, Kurt?" Sebastian interrupted. "Don't you dare devalue your importance to me. It's petty, and not to mention downright idiotic of you."

It would have been so easy for Kurt just to focus on the self centred side that Sebastian projected whenever he spoke freely to people. But because Kurt had started to glimpse the man underneath all that snark, he could push past it to recognize what Sebastian was really saying: that Kurt was so used to thinking he was worthless that he couldn't believe that Sebastian wouldn't want to use him for his own gain. But Sebastian's wasn't about to let Kurt think that, because he loved him, despite his many flaws. Kurt sighed; he still wasn't used to having someone in his life this much now. He had lived such a solitary and sheltered life, and it made him feel very small.

"I may be an idiot at times... but if I don't try to grow as a person, then I'll never become confident to feel attractive, much less value myself." Where were these words even coming from? They made no sense at all and yet Kurt didn't feel the urge to explain himself.

"How am I stopping you from reaching that goal?" Sebastian honestly asked.

"You're not," Kurt said softly. "But it's still happening all the same."

"May I make a suggestion? Keeping in mind that you don't have to follow it." Sebastian waited until he saw Kurt nod and smile at him. "You need to be more direct; both with how you conduct yourself and especially with me. I'm not a mind reader Kurt, I may get lucky and be able to guess your emotional state sometimes, but I'm still bound to get it wrong most of the time. If you have a problem with me, or about anything I've done or said then you should tell me about with actual words."

Kurt decided to take Sebastian's words to heart; starting with right now. He sat down on the edge of the chaise lounge and grasped Sebastian's right hand. "I want you to be more aware of my wants and needs Sebastian. I don't expect you to change your personality for me, but I do wish you would act more considerate. I shouldn't be the only one who's expected to speak up when something is wrong. I want you to be honest and direct with me too. That's how relationship work; we're a team -or at least that's how I feel they should work."

"So what you're basically saying is; we need to trust one another more," Sebastian said.

"It seems like it, yes," Kurt agreed. "Trusting people has never come easy for me though, so it might take me a while to."

Sebastian sat up and shifted his body until he was directly behind Kurt, wrapping his arms over the front of Kurt's shoulders. Kurt smiled and leaned his back against Sebastian's chest; their fingers were now laced together. He wondered if Unique was in the room still or if she had left to give them some privacy, either way he wasn't about to suggest he and Sebastian do anything that would need it.

"Can I tell you a secret Kurt? One I've never told anyone?" Sebastian whispered in Kurt's ear.

Kurt scanned the room for any signs of Unique and saw that she was listening to music on her headphones as she worked. "Yes please."

"I'm just as bad at trusting people Kurt, but for you.. and us... I'm willing to try." Sebastian chuckled lightly; as if he were amused by his own honesty. He could be, given that Sebastian probably never opened himself this much around others. The fact that he was voluntarily sharing something so personal with Kurt made him giddy with love. "More than willing actually, and let that speak as a true testament of how much you mean to me, Kurt. Because as you probably know, I rarely give a shit about anything or anyone."

Touched but also oddly amused, Kurt snorted in response; it wasn't a very funny moment and yet it felt right to laugh. Sebastian quickly joined in and the couple chuckled together, allowing the humorous moment to break tension. Blissful cuddling soon resumed and this time Kurt chose to enjoy it for all it was worth. Sebastian never initiated any sort of make out session; he just lay back down to spoon Kurt from behind and fell asleep. Kurt hardly minded this either, since it had been a trying day for them both; so he closed his eyes and waited until he finally drifted off.

At some point Unique found the boys asleep on the couch, smiled as she snapped a quick photo and draped a throw blanket over them.

_

There had been many clues to support the theory that Sebastian came from a family with money, the first of which being his taste for fancy clothing. And if that weren't enough then there was that ridiculously sweet convertible of his, and now, Sebastian had brought Kurt to yet another fancy restaurant for their date today. Sebastian even seemed to be a regular there; every member of staff he encountered greeted him in a friendly manner.

Kurt and Sebastian were shown to an intimate private dining room with room for only the two of them and they had barely sat down when the hostess arrived.

"Your father was here yesterday," she said to Sebastian.

"Oh really? I actually haven't seen him in a while. Did he have a pretty young woman on his arm as usual?" Sebastian asked.

"Yes but she still can't compare with the gentleman you're with this evening," the hostess answered teasingly, which made Kurt blush.

After Kurt shook off his initial embarrassment, he paid better attention to their whereabouts, and the sheer swankiness of the room blew him away. He had no idea Chicago had such high end places, or at least he never would have pictured himself sitting in one now. Even more surprising was how Kurt was seated across from his loving boyfriend, who was currently flirting (harmlessly) with the hostess.

Since Kurt had no idea what to even order, he accepted Sebastian's offer to do it for the both of them (as well as promising their drinks would be nonalcoholic this time).

Sebastian studied Kurt once their orders were made; his posture appeared to be relaxed but there was something going on with his eyes. Kurt kept darting them back and forth, never settling on one spot for too long -hardly romantic mood setting. But all was not lost; Sebastian was sure that there was nothing serious going on with Kurt, and there was one way to find out.

"You're being oddly quiet, don't tell me you're feeling intimidated Kurt, because I thought you'd appreciate the private setting," Sebastian gently prodded.

"Just how rich are you?" Kurt suddenly asked.

Sebastian wanted to laugh, but he somehow managed not to. "Does money matter to you in a relationship?"

"No! Not all all. No," Kurt said urgently. "It's just... you don't need to take me to places like this for our dates, Sebastian."

"What's so wrong in wanting to show my boyfriend the finer things in life?"

"Nothing wrongs with it, as long as you're not trying to impress me with your obvious wealth."

"I wouldn't dream of it. I just happen to enjoy coming here and I thought you would too," Sebastian said, reaching out to pat Kurt's hand.

At first Kurt eyed him warily, as if he didn't buy Sebastian's claim, but either his charming grin or the lovely ambivalence of the room started to wear down his resistance. "Good," he said finally, taking a pause to sip at his virgin margarita. "So is your dad the head of a big company or something?"

"Lucky guess," Sebastian teased.

"I knew it! You're totally a spoiled little rich boy with doting parents."

"You're nearly right, except that my mom's not my dad's wife; she's only one of his many mistresses," Sebastian explained, shrugging. " And I'd hardly call either of them_ doting_."

Knowing how Kurt tended to overreact about anything, Sebastian made sure his body language remained calm and relaxed. It seemed to work, because while Kurt hadn't said anything in reply yet, he was still smiling (almost sympathetically). Sebastian had no trouble telling people about his messed up family history, in fact, he often enjoyed people's reactions to hearing it.

"What would you call them then?" Kurt eventually asked.

Sebastian snorted, "Nothing I could say here."

He was impressed that Kurt asked him about his family so casually. "I'm a product of the ongoing affair between my mom, who used to be a model, and my dad, who as you guessed is a head of a big corporation. I don't think they would have lasted so long together if I hadn't come into the picture, but my birth did mark the end of my mom's modelling career. Or as she often puts it; when she had to give up her dreams and fully her latch herself to dad for dependance; all so she could raise me."

"To his credit, my dad didn't abandon her, nor did he deny that he was the father. He even bought her a lavish apartment condo and started giving her a generous monthly allowance. He still has his string of mistresses though, and it wouldn't surprise me if he's got a few more kids, but I'm not about to ask him about it. I don't see him very much anymore and that's how we both prefer it honestly." Sebastian stopped to wet his parched throat; he wasn't used to talking this much, or for people to actually listen to him for so long either. "Our estrangement from one another has nothing to do with my sexual orientation though."

"I still can't believe you came out to your parents at such an young age," Kurt said.

"I knew they wouldn't care who I slept with and even if they did, it's not like that would have stopped me. My mom probably loved that she would always be the most important woman in my life. As for my dad, I bet he was glad that there wouldn't be a younger hotter version of himself around to lure his women away. A couple of times I actually gave his dates fashion advice; man were those a trip," Sebastian muttered with a wry smile.

"So you never had a moment where you were afraid your dad might disown you for being gay?"

"Not really."

"How about the fact that you want to become a fashion designer?" Kurt teased.

Sebastian shrugged. "It's not like he was going to ask me to join his company. But what about you, Kurt? Aren't you worried that your folks will toss you out when they discover you're out on a date your boyfriend instead of studying like you lead them to believe?" A couple of days ago Sebastian wouldn't have dared to ask Kurt this, but he felt it was safe to now.

Without flinching – or even casting an angry glare over what had to be a genuine fear of his – Kurt smiled at Sebastian sweetly. "There's no danger of that happening tonight at least; my dad's away on business and my mom's visiting her sister for the weekend." Kurt glanced up at Sebastian, who was smirking at him flirtatiously and he blushed. "If I'm careful enough they shouldn't notice any real difference in me, and it helps that they're rarely around that much in the first place," he explained.

"The danger's still there though," Sebastian said.

"It's hard to predict how they would react, Sebastian. My mom's pretty set in her ways and my dad's your typical blue collar working man. If I were to become romantically involved with a girl right now I know they'd still be worried that my grades would suffer. They've never talked to me about relationships, or even had_ the talk_ with me or anything like that. I get the feeling that they expect me to focus on school for now and nothing else. There'll be time for romance and marriage once I get a good job and have financial security."

"And I thought my parents were bad," Sebastian commented.

Kurt rolled his eyes. "I honestly have no idea how they'll take the news that I'm gay and have a boyfriend. They probably won't even believe me; my mom might think I'm acting out of rebellion, or making a desperate cry for help." Each suggested scenario appeared to trigger Kurt's anxiety; his breathing became heavy and his entire body grew stiff. Then, before Sebastian could attempt to comfort him, Kurt let out a mocking laugh. "Remind me again why you're dating me?"

"It's pretty simple; I love you, Kurt. And while I can't predict what will go down when you come out to your parents finally. I can promise that I'll be there to help you through it, Kurt. No matter what happens between now and then." Such a promise wasn't easy for Sebastian to make; he rarely committed himself to anything. But he would be there for Kurt, because he wanted to be, and that desire was all the incentive he needed. Although, Kurt's heart eyes were also very endearing, as was the way he was tearing up.

Kurt dipped his head slightly; smiling bashfully before he could finally look at his boyfriend again. When he did the affection there was just as clear as a moment ago. Kurt stretched his arms across the table and turned both his hands palm up. Sebastian notice his boyfriend's come hither look and slipped his hand into Kurt's.

"Where you always this good at romance?" Kurt playfully asked.

Sebastian laughed mockingly, though he didn't say aloud the 'fuck no' answer his mind came up with. "Must be beginner's luck," he answered instead.

"I think we could make use of my parents being absent tonight; would you agree, Sebastian?"

"How far are we talking here?" Kurt's flirty tone and his fluttering eyes weren't enough for Sebastian to go on, hence his needing clarification. There was nothing worse than misreading his partner for the night and coming up_ empty handed_. "I'm only asking so I know my limits from the start. I mean I'm interested, but my mind could easily get away from me if I were to leave it to my imagination," Sebastian explained.

"I hadn't thought that far yet. I know you are willing to wait until I feel ready and I'm touched that you're being so considerate. But there are still going to be times when I don't exactly know what I want to do until it's about to happen, like in the spur of the moment. I'll be sure to be honest with you so we're both comfortable enough to go through with it. But aside from that, I don't have everything figured out yet. I guess what I'm trying to say is; I want to live in the moment for once, especially when I'm with you."

"I think I can live with that," Sebastian said.

"You'd better."

It was then that the waitress appeared with their food orders, interrupting their flirting. Oh well, Kurt's reactions to trying his food choices were a show of their own; Kurt kept saying 'mm' so dreamily, it was priceless. Sebastian didn't bring up their planned rendezvous after dinner, and Kurt seemed to appreciate this. They managed to flirt in between eating their meal, and it wasn't long before their banter turned playfully snarky (but then, that was Sebastian's favourite kind). Sebastian complimented his boyfriend so shamelessly that Kurt blushed bright red and muttered for him to stop it because it wouldn't get him into his pants tonight.

They discussed their mutual likes and hobbies, many of which Kurt had never admitted to anyone (such as Broadway musicals, and what male celebrities they both thought were hot). All the while Sebastian put his own personal agenda aside, something he would have thought was impossible less than a week ago. Funny how love could change all that in the blink of an eye. Still, it was difficult for Sebastian not to wonder just what exactly Kurt had in mind once for they were alone at his house – no, make that hard – very_ hard_ indeed.

_

Bringing someone back to their house might not be considered a big event for most teenagers, but it was for Kurt Hummel, who had never had a guest over before (not even for a simple study session). He tried to act natural as he led Sebastian to the front door; after all, they weren't doing anything wrong. Kurt ushered Sebastian inside, closed the door behind him and took a deep breath._ 'It's going to be okay,'_ Kurt told himself._ 'Mom and Dad aren't coming home until tomorrow evening, so there's no reason to panic.'_

"It's not the least bit brag worthy but this is it; my family's boring suburban house," Kurt said as he brought Sebastian into the living room.

Sebastian barely took a look around before he shuddered in either disgust or horror. "Boring doesn't even begin to describe this place Kurt; the walls are fucking beige."

"That colour probably describes my life in a nutshell," Kurt said.

"Feel like metaphorically changing that blandness into something bolder?" Sebastian's wiggling eyebrow movements weren't the least bit subtle; nor was the almost lustful glint in his eyes. "Is your bedroom any better?" he asked seductively.

If Sebastian hadn't specifically said he wanted them to wait to have sex, Kurt would have been seriously worried that his boyfriend was trying to lure him into bed. But since both of them knew whatever they did tonight wouldn't go_ that_ far, Kurt was happy to play along. With surprising confidence – that he hoped Sebastian couldn't see right through – Kurt strutted over to Sebastian, touched his arms teasingly and kissed him full on the mouth.

Only when he and Kurt had enough of each other (or rather their lips) did Kurt finally bother to answer Sebastian's question, but still not before slipping his arms around his boyfriend's waist. "My bedroom is equally uninteresting but that will change the second you enter it."

Sebastian pressed his lips against Kurt's neck. "Is that a challenge?" he almost growled.

Kurt smirked; oh the many ways he could answer that and yet he decided to just say the first thing that popped into his mind. "Let's say yes; just for the hell of it." He laughed; amused by his own joke and Sebastian was chuckling as well. But not for long, because it seemed Sebastian had other things in mind now, and Kurt couldn't wait to discover what they were.

"After you then Kurt, please lead the way and I shall eagerly follow," Sebastian whispered, kissing him once more.

Kurt barely looked Sebastian in the eye before his excitement got the better of him and he bolted up the stairs. Sebastian was right on his heels and they burst into his room together, hurried over to Kurt's bed and crashed onto it. Sebastian pulled Kurt into his arms and initiated a long and passionate kiss. Kurt was only too happy to respond; after all his years of self inflicted celibacy, Kurt Hummel was suddenly getting some hands on experience. And although he had nothing to go on, Kurt liked to think that what he lacked in experience was made up with clever enthusiasm. Sebastian certainly seemed to be enjoying himself; in between their kisses his smug satisfaction was easy to notice. Kurt didn't mind that so much because Sebastian had every reason to feel proud of himself. He was quite the make out pro, and Kurt was only too eager to learn, kissing him back with matched desire.

"You feeling okay with this, babe?" Sebastian murmured.

"Oh, dear god yes," Kurt panted back, and that seemed to be all the confirmation Sebastian needed to change things up and start kissing Kurt's neck. Kurt muttered incoherent words under his breath as the pleasure from Sebastian's actions surged through him._ 'This is so hot,'_ he thought frantically. But still not so hot that Kurt feared his body would become too stimulated. Suddenly he didn't mind that Sebastian's sexual history was so long; if they were both total novices then things would probably feel more awkward than sexy.

Even when Sebastian was setting the pace (and the mood), Kurt could tell that he wasn't taking full control of things. His boyfriend was fine with letting Kurt get the upper hand whenever he liked and each time Kurt dared to, Sebastian's response was quite encouraging. Kurt became so lost in the moment that his normally passive side was no where to be found, and he liked that very much. He pulled Sebastian off of his neck finally so they could lock lips once more. Sebastian chuckled at his forwardness, but Kurt wasn't done yet. While his boyfriend was properly distracted, Kurt suddenly flipped them both over so he was now the one on top.

"I'm loving this aggressive side of you, Kurt," Sebastian growled.

"I thought you would," Kurt smugly replied.

Sebastian laughed in delight at his boyfriend's sassy snark; fuck he loved him so much, why else would he be able to give up control so easily. Most of the time Sebastian tended to call the shots when hooked up with guys, and in most cases they would have started fucking by this time. But everything was different now that he was with Kurt, and Sebastian was enjoying the change. Foreplay, even when there would be nothing further than heavy making out, was actually pretty fun. As Kurt's confidence continued to rise, he soon began to use his hands as well as his lips. Of course he still kept those teasing caresses above the belt, but Sebastian didn' mind. The last thing he wanted was for Kurt to go a step too far and make it so he'd have to stop their enjoyment.

It was still touch and go in a few places and Sebastian had to remain very aware of his body's responses to what he and Kurt were doing, but he didn't reach his breaking point. Who knew that simple kissing could be such a rush. Even when Sebastian was with his past boyfriends it had never been like this for him; sex was always the desired end. It was usually the same each time too; hot and heavy with little to no conversation in between.

_'Didn't realize I'd been in a rut lately,'_ No wonder he'd accepted his love for Kurt so easily; his whole being had been craving something more, something better, and now he was finally experiencing it – just step by step.

Sebastian thought he would have to coax Kurt a bit to embrace his more impulsive side, but boy was he ever wrong about that. Kurt was like a fucking sex god; though considering how lonely his life had been that wasn't too surprising. Sebastian bet that Kurt was relishing the chance to unleash a part of himself that had remained dormant for so long. That thought made him feel very possessive about Kurt, because if he'd met the wrong person to begin experimenting with... Sebastian derailed that train of thought before it could chill his body and ruin the mood._ 'Kurt's safe; no ones going to hurt him,'_ he told himself._ 'And I'm here with him because he wants me to be.'_

In Sebastian's moment of thought, he'd let his attention drift away from the task at hand, so when he came back to it now he was surprised to discover that Kurt was now straddling his thighs, and Sebastian, in his stupidity, had just been lying there like a dead weight._ 'Kurt's habits are rubbing off on me already; why the hell am I thinking so much all of a sudden?'_ Well that was about to change.

Before Kurt could ask him what was going on, Sebastian arched himself into a sitting position. Kurt remained on his lap and welcomed Sebastian with urgent arms as he brought their mouths together.

That sure made it easy for Sebastian to switch his brain off again and this time he was determined to keep his eye on the prize. Sebastian focused all his attention on making sure Kurt felt comfortable enough to keep going. Let this be a test for them both, to see how far they could push the physical side of their relationship without needing to call it quits. So far they were doing pretty damn good -in Sebastian's humble opinion.

_'Fuck he's beautiful.'_ And boy did Sebastian want to fully appreciate that beauty, but Kurt seemed to have something different in mind, which he made apparent as he gently bit Sebastian's bottom lip._ 'Holy shit!'_ Sebastian's mind blurted. Worshipping Kurt would have to wait then, and Sebastian grabbed Kurt by the shoulders to kiss him deeply. That thrilling open mouth kiss sent Sebastian spiralling; he had no plans to do anything rash, and yet he was still coming undone.

"Sebastian," Kurt said in a strained voice when the kiss finally ended. He bit down on one of his knuckles as Sebastian's lips gravitated towards his now exposed collarbone.

"Kurt." Sebastian wasn't trying to strike up a conversation, he just loved saying Kurt's name. He stopped kissing Kurt long enough to pull his hand away from his mouth. "You don't need to keep quiet, there's nobody here but us, so you can be as loud as you want – you could swear even."

"I rarely bother with profanity," Kurt admitted.

"That's probably because you've never had a good reason to use it. Which almost makes me wanna get you so turned on that you'll start swearing like a sailor."

_'Oh this could be dangerous,'_ Kurt thought apprehensively._ 'But so hot!'_ another part of him shouted. Where had this sexual deviant in him suddenly come from? Or had he been there all this time and was finally breaking free? Kurt was at a loss; the idea of sex used to terrify him, not only the physical implications but leaving himself so vulnerable.

"I won't actually try to make you swear Kurt, if you were wondering," Sebastian remarked.

"Sorry, I guess I was drifting there a bit," Kurt said sheepishly.

"Oh that's helping my game right now."

"There's an easy fix for that," Kurt murmured seductively, kissing him back, but for some reason that didn't feel satisfying enough. "How about we get a little... friendlier?"

"As long as you're-" Sebastian began.

"I am," Kurt said, cutting him off.

A sudden rush of sexual heat rushed through Kurt's body that was far too addictive for its own good. It risked overcoming him too much and he fought to keep grounded so he could respond to Sebastian's passionate kisses. He had been the one to push them to this level and he refused to think that he'd gone a step too far. Their clothes were still on, Sebastian knew they weren't going to have sex tonight and so did he. But that still didn't stop Kurt's youthful hormones from running wild with the idea of getting to finally have sex at some point. Sebastian's caresses left him feeling hungry and were making _other_ parts of his anatomy respond as well.

But before Kurt could finally admit he was reaching his breaking point, Sebastian did it for him, pulling away without any warning.

"What? What is it? Am I doing something wrong?" Kurt asked urgently.

Sebastian threw his head back and laughed, "Fuck no." He released his hands from around Kurt's waist so he could sit at a safer distance; Kurt had never seen him so shaken up before. "You weren't doing anything wrong; that's the whole problem. You were doing everything right actually, except for one important thing."

Kurt frowned at Sebastian in confusion; what did he even mean by that?

"Were you ever going address the fact that you were getting aroused? Or were you planning to ignore the fact until I felt your hard on myself?" Sebastian questioned, nodding directly at Kurt's obvious bulge.

Kurt blushed bright red and crossed his legs in attempt to hide the evidence. "Oh_ that_..." He would have said he had things under control, if there had been any truth in that claim. He knew Sebastian would see right through him, so he chose to fess up about it. "I kept telling myself 'just a minute longer and then I'll stop' but I was clearly kidding myself."

"Been there," Sebastian said.

"And what happened to you in those instances?" Kurt asked shyly.

"Nothing that's the least bit brag worthy," Sebastian answered.

Kurt smirked in amusement; both at his own foolishness and Sebastian attempts at humour. He leaned forward to give his boyfriend a quick peck on the lips. But he knew the moment was over and they couldn't go back to making out just yet. "I'm not used to wanting someone so badly Sebastian; my physical desires are drowning out my voice of reason. Part of me just wants to say screw it and get things over and done with." Kurt ran a hand through his hair before letting out an awkward (but still cute sounding) laugh.

"Maybe then I'd stop feeling so anxious about the idea of losing my virginity. But I know that's not the answer; I don't want to rush things with you Sebastian. I love you and I want our first time together to mean something. That day will probably occur sooner than you're imagining, but it's not going to happen tonight; I'm not ready," he admitted, glancing at Sebastian nervously.

Sebastian brushed a piece of Kurt's bangs out of his eyes and smiled at him lovingly. "Abstaining from sex until you are ready isn't going to kill me, Kurt. Even I've been known to have the odd dry spell now and then -some of which lasted well over a week."

"You're joking."

"I rarely joke about sex, Kurt. It happened for a lot of reasons; sometimes the guy I was trying to nail ended up not being the effort. While in other instances there wasn't enough chemistry between us. I don't need to fall in love with a guy to have sex with him, but there has to be something there still -unless I'm drunk. I still prefered non-connected sex though; anything else had too many complications afterwards, and too many rules -it was a crazy mess at times. I hated when guys got too clingy and thought I should feel some sort of obligations to them after hooking up. They blamed me for not being clear enough about my intentions, but of course they never bothering asking me what I wanted." Sebastian let out a deep sigh and rested his head on Kurt's shoulder. "Sorry, I shouldn't be whining to you about shit like this."

"I don't mind, as long as you're planning to go somewhere with it," Kurt said playfully.

"I was getting sick of all that, more than sick of it actually, I was just too stubborn to admit it at first. Then you came into my life and I suddenly knew what had been missing; I wanted a deeper connection, I wanted to fall in love."

Kurt smiled and slipped his arm over Sebastian's shoulder. "And was falling in love all you hoped it would be?"

"That's still left to be seen," Sebastian teased.

_'Oh, I walked right into that one,'_ Kurt thought, but all was not lost, he could get even still. "You know where the door is, if you're having a second thoughts."

Sebastian snorted, "Not a chance." He kissed Kurt, no doubt to shut him up and get the last word, and yet Kurt didn't feel the urge to thwart his attempts.

Instead Kurt went with the flow and lay back down on the bed with Sebastian as they resumed kissing one another. Except this time Sebastian seemed more mindful to not let their passions climb too high and Kurt was fine with that choice. It allowed them to experience a more laid back experience, but one that still sent shivers down Kurt's spine. It was also a lot more romantic, (as well as intimate) and Kurt felt so many emotions well up inside of him. He wished that Sebastian could spend the night; what would it feel like for them to wake up beside each other after a night of spooning? For a split second, Kurt almost felt like asking him to._ 'No, it's way too early for that and I doubt I'd be able to sleep much with Sebastian lying next to me,'_ Kurt told himself. It might sound romantic but Kurt was so used to sleeping alone, he wasn't sure how he would react to another person's presence, even if that someone was Sebastian.

So Kurt tossed the notion aside and decided to enjoy what he and Sebastian were doing, because it wasn't like making out together was wasted time. Kurt took control for a spell, and Sebastian let him do so, smiling and chuckling to himself as Kurt gently kissed his lips. Gradually Kurt's trail of kisses moved from Sebastian's lips to the left side of his mouth, finally stopping at his neck. A sudden idea entered Kurt's mind, one he wasn't about to shy away from. "Can I give you a matching hickey on this side? Since you enjoyed the first one so much?"

"Someone's in a good mood," Sebastian observed with amusement.

"You're the reason for my current happiness Sebastian, which is why I want to give you a token of my affection."

"I'm flattered but how about I give you one instead? I'll make sure it's low enough on your collarbone so you can keep it covered up."

Kurt's heart skipped a beat. "That sounds like fun." It did seem like a good end for what had been a very informative night. Sebastian took no time getting to work but not before properly setting the mood a bit before doing the deed. Kurt's moaned when Sebastian began to teasingly nip his neck in between his sweet little kisses. But this was only the start of things and Sebastian finally moved onto the task and began to lightly suck on Kurt's collarbone._ 'Oh, my god!'_ Kurt's mind shouted at him from the pleasure he felt.

When Sebastian seemed to be done he pulled back and swayed his body around as if he had lost his sense of balance. Kurt giggled at the silly display; he had no idea Sebastian could be such an adorable goofball. He was too cute to resist actually, and Kurt kissed him just to make the fact be known to his cute boyfriend.

"You're welcome," Sebastian said, beaming.

"So should we admit it's getting late or pretend to be blissfully unaware for a little longer?"

"Why are you asking me that?"

"I thought you could make the call for something," Kurt flirted back, because he knew Sebastian was just kidding around.

"It is well past midnight, which is probably late for you, so I should probably go," Sebastian said, standing up from the bed so he could stretch his stiff arm muscles a bit.

They walked together hand in hand along the hall leading from his bedroom, down the stairs and all the way to the front door. Kurt didn't want to let him go; he wanted Sebastian to stay so he wouldn't have to be alone.

"I had a good time tonight, thanks for letting me stay so long," Sebastian said before giving him an affectionate kiss goodnight.

Kurt watched him head out the door and something came over him. "Are you disappointed that you're not staying the night?

Sebastian came to a stop, turned to smirk at Kurt and shrugged. "I'll be fine. It's better that I don't, since that would be too much of a distraction right now. There's a ton of work to be done for the show, for all of us actually, you included, Kurt. There will be plenty of other times for us to spend our nights together." Sebastian came back to kiss Kurt one last time, and Kurt beamed at him. "In the meantime, you should work on that air of superiority of yours; I need it to be so high that you'll be seen as a god on stage."

"I'm already consider angelic by Sugar and Unique's reckoning, so reaching a state of divinity shouldn't be too difficult," Kurt joked, even though he actually meant every word.

"Can you come by tomorrow for your first model walking lesson? Unique's already agreed to show you how it's done."

"I'll be there; I meant what I said Sebastian; I want to be more than just your model who also happens to be your boyfriend. I'd love nothing more than to help all of you make your vision come to life... Speaking of which, I still haven't seen your designs for the piece yet!" Kurt reminded him.

"I'd e-mail it to you now but it's really something you should see in person. I tell you what, I'll bring the designs with me to the Atelier tomorrow."

A simple word of thanks didn't feel enough for Kurt, so he went ahead and shared their third goodbye kiss of the night. The second their lips touched, Sebastian seemed to melt against him, abandoning his smug persona so he could cherish the moment. When they broke apart, their matching smiles made the couple laugh and giggle almost bashfully. But there was nothing to feel shy about when it came to their love for one another.

Sebastian hugged Kurt one last time before he headed off again. "I'm going to get you to swear next time, Kurt."

"You're welcome to try," Kurt called back. He could hear Sebastian's throaty laughter as he piled into his convertible to drive away and Kurt was alone again. He closed the front door and looked around the empty living room. "I miss him already..."

Sebastian returned home to find a pair of leopard print pumps left by his front door and he sighed; he was not alone then -great. He didn't act the least bit alarmed about having an intruder in his apartment though; he just carried on as if nothing were out of the ordinary. He hung up his jacket and ignored the pretty woman who was silently reclining on his couch. He knew she was looking at him-probably with dagger eyes-but he still paid her no mind as he went to the fridge to get himself a drink.

"Aren't you going to say anything to me?" the woman asked in a hurt voice.

"Why would I bother; you already have no sense of boundaries." Sebastian decided drinking tonight would be a bad idea, so he replaced his beer with a much safer bottle of mineral water.

"I know where you've been; out with one of your flings," his uninvited guest accused.

At first Sebastian was tempted to shrug the comment off like he usually did, but this time he needed to correct her inaccurate claims. "It's really none of your business but I was out with my boyfriend," he said matter-of-factly, easing himself into his sofa chair. She glared at him but Sebastian pretended not to see her icy stare and gulped down his water. "And if you so much as say one insulting thing about him I will throw you out the door and without a hint of remorse."

"How can you be so cold?" Ice queen lady asked bitterly.

"It's simple; I learned from the best,_ Mom_."

"I told you never to call me that!" she snapped at Sebastian. "It makes me feel so old!"

_'Fuck I am so tired of her excessive whining. Maybe I should have stayed at Kurt's after all – if only to avoid this mess.'_ But running away wouldn't do Sebastian any good, nor would throwing her out, or else he would have already. "It's not like it's my fault you got knocked up at such a young age. You're the one who got lazy with birth control, so there's no use bitching to me about it," he snarkily replied.

"You have no idea how hard it's been for me! How much I've had to give up. Before I met your father I was a promising model. My face should have graced the covers of the biggest fashions magazines. But I was stupid enough to let that fickle and manipulative man seduce and and lure me away from that life. I lost everything in an instant; if it weren't for him, I would be walking the runways of Paris right now!"

Sebastian had lost count of the times his mother had showed up at his place unannounced, just so she could cry to him about her unfortunate life. It usually happened whenever his parents had one of their 'spats' and like clockwork, it usually sent Terri running to the only other man in her life – her poor undeserving son (who had never asked to be her constant rock in the first place). It was funny how Terri only liked to remember she even had a son when it was for her own benefit. Most times her 'visits' ended up in them having a loud shouting match before Terri ran off acting like she was the victim.

While Sebastian wouldn't call Terri the mothering type, he had to admit she did love him, in her own immature way, which didn't amount to much in his mind. She was far too clingy, treating him more like he had been put on this earth just to serve her.

"You mean that_ I_ ruined your life; when you gave birth to me," Sebastian corrected.

Terri gasped at the accusation, pressing her hand to her heart as she stared at him woefully. "No, of course not! Sebastian, I'm so sorry if that's what you think!" she cried out.

He had to hand it to her; her act was almost flawless. Too bad he'd had nineteen years of practice learning when to see through her bullshit acts. This would normally be the point where Sebastian would throw her out and seek better company (typically the young, male and hot kind) to turn his night around. But now that he was in a committed relationship, his days of using casual sex with men as a way to cope were over and done with. He was actually glad of that though; it wasn't like any of his many past attempts had worked to his advantage. As soon as the sex was over he was forced to admit he still had a childish mother who would be back._ 'I'm not in the mood for sex anyway,'_ Sebastian admitted to himself. Getting horribly drunk just so he could drown her out was also out of the question. But all was not lost; Terri wasn't the only one who knew how to manipulate people to get her way.

"If you're expecting me to have a sudden change of heart and thank you for the gift of life then you're wasting your time,_ Terri,_" he casually warned.

The combination of cold aloofness and intentional spite caused Terri to stand up and glare angrily at her son. "Fine then! Be that way! I know when I'm not welcome."

"Oh, that's a load of crap," Sebastian laughed.

"How did the child I raised become so mean?"

"Easy, you didn't raise me, you had the staff to do it for you."

Terri narrowed her eyes at Sebastian. "I'm leaving. This new boyfriend of yours may be able to take your smart talk but I'm not!"

"Maybe you should do us both a favour and stop coming here whenever you're having your own boyfriend troubles. Oh, wait no, that's wrong, because you're not even dad's girlfriend are you? You're just another mistress of his... and that makes _all_ the difference, doesn't it?"

Terri finally had heard enough of her son's_ hurtful_ taunts to turn her nose up at him and storm out of the apartment without saying goodbye. The door slammed behind her and as soon as he was sure that she was gone for good Sebastian let out an exasperated sigh. He needed to do something with all of this pent of anger but nothing good (or rather; sensible) came to mind. In the end he decided to take a shower in attempts to cool his jets. He did feel cleaner but hardly less annoyed. There were other ways to blow off steam that wouldn't make him cheat on Kurt, but Sebastian had no drive to exercise or anything along those lines.

How did guys who were in serious relationships deal with crap like this? Did they just talk it out with their boyfriends? Sebastian wondered how Kurt would react if he were to call him up and begin sharing his emotional baggage all of a sudden. Sebastian knew that Kurt would do whatever he could for him, even if all he could do was listen to his plight.

_'Oh, what the hell.'_ Everything else he had tried before hadn't done him any good, so it was time for something new. Sebastian decided to text him first to see if Kurt was even awake to talk with.

_You're not the only one who has serious mom issues, Kurt._

Kurt's reply text came back minutes later.

_**Oh, so what has yours done?**_

_Nothing out of the ordinary; which is her whole problem._

_**Would you like to talk about it?**___

Whenever people asked Sebastian about his personal life he never tried to hide anything, but neither did he go into full detail – especially when his family was concerned. Part of this was because Sebastian liked to keep an air of mystery about himself; the less people knew about him the better. But of course there was more to it than that; if he were to share the full truth then people would see him for who he really was: just another product of a broken home. How pathetically boring. _'A change of pace might do me some good,'_ he decided.

_Are you sure you're up for it, Kurt? It could take all night._

_**It would be nice to listen to other people's problems for once. So go for it, I'm actually a very good listener, Sebastian.**_

Sebastian decided he'd rather talk to Kurt directly rather than text just him, so he called him up next.

"Hello," Kurt's musical voice replied.

"Hi," Sebastian said. "I uh, I'm not sure where to begin..."

"How about at the start?"

Bringing Kurt up to date with Sebastian's murky family history took a great deal of the night and he only stopped when Kurt's phone ended up dying. Kurt quickly called him on his home line to explain what had happened and they'd decided to call it a night. Sebastian expressed his thanks to Kurt, who told him it was his pleasure and the couple bid each other goodnight.

Sebastian let out a heavy sigh as he lay back on his bed; he was in the oddest mood now. Even when Kurt hadn't done anything but listen to him, and no solutions to his mom problems were given, he still felt much better off than before. Talking for such a long time had another plus as well; he was dead tired and before he knew it, Sebastian was fast asleep -and still dressed in his date outfit.

_

Kurt was very grateful that it was the weekend because it meant he could sleep in late on Sunday morning. Unfortunately he wasn't lucky enough to wake up before his mom had come back home and have her not be there when he stumbled into the kitchen later that afternoon.

"You shouldn't stay up so late studying; you're losing too much sleep, Kurt," Margaret warned her son.

Kurt smiled at her weakly; he was glad there was no need for him to make up some excuse for his tired state, but he still hated leading her on like this. More so because he knew his grades had already begun to slip. He made a silent vow to step up his game and schedule in enough study time from now on. "I'll be sure to remember that. I'm going to head to the library now," Kurt said tiredly.

"Kurt, wait," Margaret said.

It took all of the energy Kurt had left in him to continue acting natural as he turned around to face her.

"Is that another new outfit?"

"Oh, yes it is. Um, what do you think of this one?"

"You look very handsome."

Kurt tried not to blush at hearing her compliment, but he wasn't used to people noticing him enough to give any sort of feedback – positive or otherwise. Even from his mom, who usually didn't pay that much attention to anything aside from her son's scholastic achievements.

"Thanks, mom," Kurt said softly before heading off for the day.

As Kurt walked along the sidewalk, there was a new kick in his step that stemmed from his welcomed new boost in confidence. His head was held up high and smiling; quite the contrast to how he usually conducted himself. Less than two weeks ago Kurt would have had his eyes to the ground, mumbling angrily to himself as he trudged along.

Since Kurt had slept through breakfast and lunch, he decided to stop on the way to the studio so he could grab something to eat. While he waited for his food order, Kurt had yet another new experience: someone was checking him out. The man in question looked to be around Kurt's own age and he was very easy on the eyes as well. At first Kurt thought he must be grinning at someone else but then the guy went so far as to cast Kurt a flirtatious glance. Unsure what to do, Kurt smiled at him shyly, but that seemed to be taken as encouragement, because the man started to make his way to Kurt.

"Hey there, you sure know how to dress," Mr. Hottie said in a flattering tone.

"Thanks," Kurt said, blushing sheepishly. "But my boyfriend's the one who deserves the credit; he helped me pick these out." He'd said it so automatically that Kurt hadn't considered how hearing that he had a boyfriend already would affect his admirer, but there was no mistaking the sudden change in the young man's body language.

"I hope he knows what a lucky guy he is." There was no hint of flirtation in his voice but his tone was sounded friendly enough.

"I'm not sure," Kurt answered, smiling. "But I like to think he does."

It hadn't dawned on Kurt until after he'd gotten his food and was nearing the studio that his sexual orientation had been so easily guessed. Kurt stopped dead in his tracks at the realization. Was that really all it took? Kurt just needed to dress in less subdued clothing and suddenly the whole word could tell he was gay? Or was something else happening as well; was his new found confidence broadcasting some sort of unanticipated message now? Would everyone be able to tell all of a sudden, or was Kurt yet again overreacting? He'd never been more aware that every choice he made created different consequences. But what possible alternative was there even? Returning back to his old life was out of the question.

"I'm just going to have to take things one day at a time," Kurt told himself as he pushed himself forward, because the one thing Kurt did know, was that there was no looking back.

_

True to his word, Sebastian had brought his designs to the studio and he presented them to Kurt as soon as he arrived. Kurt kissed him on a the cheek before clutching the binder close to his chest. He felt as if he'd just been given the most precious gift in the word. Kurt found no reason to hide his excitement though, so he practically skipped over to the nearest table to have a look inside.

Kurt's eyes widened as they fell upon the first page; he was rendered speechless from what he saw there. "It's... me..." he finally stammered.

The striking resemblance between Kurt and the male model Sebastian had sketched was unmistakable, so much that Kurt ignored the outfit for the time being. His eyes were transfixed upon the young man's face; that even in a simple drawing, almost sent chills down his spine. This was it, the exact look Sebastian had described to him at the fabric shop, a superiority so intense that it instantly made him feel unworthy in comparison.

"Sebastian, you might have missed your calling; you're an amazing artist," Kurt said in sheer awe.

Sebastian shrugged. "I had considered it but there's no excitement in simply drawing my visions. I want to create them as well."

"It's something you can fall back on at least though."

"Stop dreamily gazing at the model I drew and focus on what he's wearing instead," Sebastian said playfully.

Kurt decided to humour his boyfriend, since he did have a point, and once again he could barely register what he saw. The first thing that drew Kurt's eyes in was the rich purple colour of the ensemble, that somehow even on paper seemed to dazzle and shine. The printed accent fabric was a deeper purple that ran down the sides of the jacket and the underside of the sleeves. While the tailored fit of it - with its exaggerated shoulders and how it flared out after the waist – fully created a hourglass shape effect.

Peeking out from underneath the front was a waistcoat made of the same accent fabric as on the jacket. Kurt flipped to another page and discovered that Sebastian had drawn countless angles and aspects of every part of the design. A larger sketch of the jacket revealed that the long panels of fabric spilling down the sleeve caps, middle front and back of the jacket were made of lace. The mauve coloured dress shirt was barely visible underneath all the splendour but it still fully complimented the whole layered effect. Kurt soon found a detailed drawing of the neck area and he discovered that the bow-tie was made out of what he could only guess were pearl beads.

_'Puck was right, no one is going to see all this detail from the audience,'_ Kurt thought to himself.

Yet there was no denying the sheer beauty of the design and the amount of heart Sebastian had put into it as well. Slim fitted trousers that were the same fabric as the jacket were tucked into a pair of knee high platform boots. Even the boots were given the same detail as the rest of the outfit, right down to the matching fabrics. Kurt wondered if he planned to make the boots from scratch or add onto a bought pair. Upon the head of the model in Sebastian's sketches was an honest to god top hat and it too was decorated with beads and lace. If that weren't enough, there was also a cane to go along with the outfit that had a beaded butterfly on the top of it.

The whole outfit should have been so vibrantly gaudy that it was almost screaming off the page, but it amazingly all came together in the end. Kurt still wondered how everything combined would translate from design to a physical outfit; there seemed to be too much going on to him.

But since Kurt wasn't a designer himself, he didn't voice these concerns to Sebastian, who obviously knew what he was doing. "Did you draw these before or after we met?" Kurt asked Sebastian.

"These are the original designs Kurt; check with the others if you don't believe me," Sebastian said.

"Oh, I believe you... or I'm trying to. It's just, the model looks just like me."

"Crazy, huh?"

A throaty laugh escaped from Kurt's throat; page after page only thrilled him that much more. Sebastian had created a masterpieces, and he was the lucky model who would get to wear it on stage!

Dumbfounded by the idea, Kurt smiled at Sebastian wildly. "Crazy doesn't even begin to describe it Sebastian, I can't even put what I'm feeling into words."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

"Man that was one killer test," a dreamy voice announced.

Kurt glanced up to find Blaine leaning against the desk beside him. He was slowly becoming accustomed to how his former crush had started speaking to him more. If Kurt weren't so fraught with worry over his looming test results, he would have done more than smile weakly in response. But from the second Kurt had read the first question, he knew he was fighting a losing battle. His mind had run a blank and he'd ended up winging most of the test.

"How do you think you fared, Kurt?" asked Blaine.

Kurt reminded himself that Blaine was just an innocent bystander who was only being his normal kindhearted self. "Not that great," he admitted, sighing heavily.

Blaine cocked his head to the side and flashed Kurt a sympathetic look. "That bad huh?"

"Yes, but I only have myself to blame."

"If you're having trouble preparing for exams, I could give you a hand. I know the official study groups can be hard to follow at times."

If Blaine had given the same offer less than a week ago, Kurt would have grown so flustered that even he couldn't have hidden his surprise. But now that Kurt was no longer besotted with Blaine, his concerns were more about how he could decline without sounding too cold. Just because he had finally come to his senses and no longer daydreamed about becoming Blaine's one true love didn't mean he couldn't act friendly towards him still.

"Thanks for the offer Blaine, but I've got a pretty tight schedule going on right now, which is one of the main reasons I tanked the exam." Though if Kurt were to be perfectly honest, the real reason for his sudden grade drop was probably more because he had no interest in the subjects he was taking. It had taken his recent life changes to realize this though, and he didn't know what to do about it yet. Which was why he wasn't admitting it to Blaine (or anyone really). No, Kurtwas determined to figure things out on his own. No matter how lost he might feel, Kurt wasn't about to drag Blaine into his stupid problems.

"I'll keep it in mind for the future though," he said, just to be polite.

Blaine gave Kurt an understanding nod.

"I'm still not used to having a social life all of a sudden and I'm finding it hard to balance it with school work," Kurt added.

"What's that like?" Blaine asked, smirking.

"Good but also totally new to me, hence my inability to juggle both more successfully."

Whatever Blaine had planned to do beyond smiling at Kurt was interrupted when his usual group of friends told him to hurry it up. Blaine rolled his eyes at them before turning his attentions back to Kurt. He smiled awkwardly at Kurt as he tapped his fingers on the desk he was still leaning against.

Kurt decided to make his departure easier by mouthing 'go' at him. Which seemed to be enough for Blaine to take his leave. That suited Kurt just fine, though he did make a mental note to be more responsive the next time Blaine tried to talk to him – if there would even be a next time.

Kurt was at an moral impasse; should he tell his mother the bad grade once he got the official results, or should he try to delay the inevitable for as long as possible? The other alternative was to lie, because Margaret would have no reason not to believe her son. But the lies were already beginning to pile up and Kurt would eventually have to tell her the truth.

As much as he wanted to his life to change, Kurt was afraid to let it happen all at once. Was it so wrong for him to have a little time for adjustment before the truth came out (along with himself)?

Kurt heard an odd beeping sound and he frowned at first at the interruption. _'Oh, I just got a text message.'_ Good. Kurt thought, he could use a good distraction right now.

_You're still coming tonight right? We're both so excited!_

A smile crept across Kurt's face as he read the message; the 'we' in this instance meant Sugar (who had sent the text) and Unique. The ladies of Paradis Bise had invited him to join them at Sugar's house that night and Kurt had felt no urge to decline. Kurt was supposed to meet them at the studio after class and Sebastian had assured him that he'd stick around there until Kurt arrived. He wouldn't join them for their planned night though; apparently the girls wanted Kurt all to themselves and they had made Sebastian promise not to crash their little_ soiree_.

Although Kurt knew that forgetting his troubles wouldn't actually make them go away, he still refused to let that fact ruin his night of fun. So Kurt headed off to the studio for his first model walking lesson before Sugar and Unique stole him for the evening.

Kurt didn't mind that Sebastian would be absent for the latter half either, because it meant he could conveniently ask the girls about his boyfriend. He hadn't even gotten a chance to discuss his new relationship status with Unique and Sugar yet. He couldn't wait to see want gossip they both had on Sebastian!

The current scene at the Atelier was oddly quiet; Puck was off at band practice, Sugar and Unique were making themselves useful until Kurt arrived and Sebastian was fully into work mode. Just because he was the designer of the group didn't mean he left all the hands-on work to his teammates. Sebastian loved physically creating clothes just as much as designing them. Before the formation of Paradis Bise Sebastian had sewn his designs completely on his own.

Sebastian was occupied with carefully sewing the collar he'd just finished onto the neck of the dress shirt. Just because they were short on time didn't mean he was going to rush things. He just needed to pace himself accordingly, because there was no room for any mistakes.

"Does Kurt know what today's lesson is?" Unique asked when Sebastian finished another seam line.

"Oh, he's aware..." Sebastian let his words trail off so he could inspect his handiwork and deem it good enough. "... just not about everything that's in store for him," he added vaguely.

Unique shook her head at Sebastian and his questionable response. "Lord help that sweet Angel."

"Don't you worry your pretty head about Kurt, Unique, I'm being good to him," Sebastian said.

"I gotta admit, I didn't think you'd be able to handle having a boyfriend all of a sudden so easily, Sebby," Sugar told him.

Sebastian smirked. "Who says that I am?"

Sebastian was a skilled enough tailor that he could chat with the ladies and still keep working on the show piece. He actually didn't mind that they were asking him about his relationship with Kurt. He'd gotten few chances to share his opinion of the young man that had so easily captured his heart. "Being with Kurt is full of surprises. Sharing myself with someone is difficult at times but I'm learning as I go basically. The commitment part has been easy though, and it's kind of fun shooting down guys whenever they try to pick me up."

Sebastian placed the collar piece of the shirt under the machine once again.

"What has been more difficult is how much Kurt's been affecting me... from how I conduct myself as a person to how my day to day life has changed. It's so different that you'd think I'd hate it all, but I don't; I love it. I love the change Kurt has brought, and I find myself impatiently wanting to see what else is in store for us." Sebastian knew he wasn't making a lot of sense, but he didn't care.

"You really are in love aren't you?" Sugar asked honestly.

"I thought it would be obvious that I am. Kurt captivates me, on a daily basis... I've never met anyone whose inner beauty matches with their outer self so seamlessly," Sebastian said.

"There's something special about him for sure," Unique agreed.

"Kurt's potential is so amazing. I want to help him reach his highest potential so badly that I could risk losing myself in my desire to. I would give him the world if I could, but I know he's strong enough to climb most of it on his own. Kurt probably won't need much more than some gentle coaxing in the end, but then that's exactly how it should be." Sebastian was no longer sewing; he'd gotten so swept up in his love for Kurt that his hands had stopped on their own.

"Spoken like a true poet," Unique teasingly praised, though Sebastian didn't react to any of her fun.

"Ugh, this is like the love story of the ages! I can't wait to hear how Kurt feels about you tonight," Sugar said.

"Try not to expect much from him, Sugar," warned Sebastian, resuming his work on the dress shirt. "You can only pile so much pressure on Kurt before he'll revert back to his old habits and close himself off from you. Sometimes it can happen without any warning too. Kurt's trying to come around but his new-found confidence is still a work in progress."

Since Sebastian's attention was mainly focused on the task at hand, Sugar turned to Unique, who had a matching smile of affection on her face. "We'll keep that in mind," she said finally.

"And I'm sure Kurt will love to talk about you when you're not around to overhear," Unique added, wiggling her eyebrows.

"Oh, I should think so," a lyrical voice called from the doorway.

At the appearance of Kurt, Sebastian didn't stop sewing but he did give his boyfriend one of his award winning smiles to show he cared. "Good to see you Kurt, I'll give you a proper hello as soon as I'm finished with this."

"I'm gonna hold you to that," Kurt flirtatiously replied.

Since Kurt seemed content to spend his time with the girls for a spell, Sebastian let their idle chatter fade into the background. Twenty minutes passed before Sebastian was finally happy with the fruits of his labour. The dress shirt might be nearing completion but the same could not be said for the rest of the ensemble. With only a month to go, Sebastian had the sinking suspicion he would end up neglecting Kurt in spite of his best intentions. Hopefully by then Kurt would know well enough not to take offense or at least to tell him his feelings before any real resentment could set in.

Sebastian stretched his stiff arm muscles; a quick room check showed that Unique, Kurt and Sugar hadn't gone very far. The trio of friends were at the bar drinking tea and talking about something with great enthusiasm._ 'That's enough idle fun for now,'_ Sebastian thought to himself as he stood up.

"Unique, be a dear and deliver Kurt's gift to him. Our model has much to learn in the way of walking the runway," Sebastian said.

Unique rolled her eyes at Sebastian before rising from her stool to fetch the item in question and place in on the pool table.

Kurt eyed the box from his spot at the bar apprehensively; why did he feel so unnerved all of a sudden? "Um, what's this all about?" he asked Sebastian, who so far hadn't moved from his spot by the sewing machine.

"Just open it yourself," Sebastian casually replied.

_'Why do I feel like I'm about to open Pandora's box?'_ Kurt knew he was acting silly, but he couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that was coming over him. If his assumptions were proven correct and that box contained exactly what he thought it did, Kurt didn't want to open it.

"Come on Angel, what are you waiting for?" Sugar asked.

In this instance, Kurt's reaction to being right wasn't the least bit enjoyable. How could it be when the opened lid revealed a pair of bright purple platform heels that were actually covered in glitter! At the sight of them, Kurt's face turned stark white and his body froze. It was worse than he'd imagined!

Horror stricken, Kurt backed away from the table and the hellish eyesore. He felt as if the air was seeping out of his lungs and he was unable to breathe. "No..." he rasped, his voice barely audible.

"What's wrong, Angel? They're so cute," asked Sugar with confusion.

Kurt was too shocked to answer; any progress he'd accomplished so far still didn't mean he could face anything like_ this_. With his inability to cope came all the years of shame and ridicule Kurt had faced. Just the idea of wearing such a gaudy and obviously feminine pair of shoes sent him spiralling over the edge.

Kurt gasped. The walls were closing in on him, making it even harder for him to breath.

"Oh no." Kurt struggled to find his voice again, only doing so when he felt a hot white rage overtake him. "There is no way in hell I am wearing those atrocities!"

When Sugar rushed towards Kurt, he suddenly bolted from the room and right out the front door.

"Angel, wait!" Sugar called, but it was already too late.

Unique stepped out to stop her friend's attempts to go after him. "Leave it to Sebastian, Hon," she whispered as the man in question quietly went after his fleeing boyfriend.

Even if Sebastian liked to think he knew his boyfriend rather well by now, he hadn't expected Kurt to react so dramatically. But he was still knew well enough to keep his pace slow and non confrontational as possible as he followed Kurt after closing the door behind him. Sebastian quickly discovered that Kurt hadn't made it very far; he was sitting at the bottom of the stairs. Kurt's figure was bent over with his head between his knees breathing heavily. Sebastian made no attempts to reach him, not with words or by touch. He simply sat behind Kurt, a step up from him, and when Kurt made no negative reaction to his presence, Sebastian shuffled forwards so he could wrap his arms around Kurt's shoulders, pressing his chest against Kurt's hunched over back.

Kurt said nothing at first; he just took Sebastian's offered support as he tried to get his hyperventilating under control. Sebastian kissed the back of Kurt's neck softly before resting his chin on the top of Kurt's head.

"I'm sorry I ran." Kurt's body shuddered and he let out a loud breath. "I just... panicked."

"It happens," Sebastian said.

"Not to you."

"And how would you know that?" Sebastian asked playfully, but Kurt didn't reply. "I should have realized how much you were pushing yourself... not just to become our model but to be with me as well. You've been forcing yourself to step out of your comfort zone and I stupidly saw that as a good thing. I didn't realize all the pressure that would build up in the process. No wonder you cracked all of a sudden like that," Sebastian said, more to himself than to Kurt directly.

"Don't patronize me Sebastian, I'm not some child who needs to be coddled. I overreacted. I can't believe seeing those shoes made me have a full blown panic attack. Who does that?" Kurt grumbled angrily.

"You do, and you shouldn't feel ashamed that it happened. The tiniest thing can set a person off, or at least that's what I imagine. I'm not an expert on this kind of thing."

"Oh, I dunno, you knew how to handle me pretty well," Kurt said, hugging Sebastian's arms that were still crossed lovingly over his shoulder.

"I was acting on instinct, but it's good to know I have some sense still," Sebastian remarked with just the hint of playfulness. Sebastian heard Kurt laugh and he hoped that meant the recovery process was underway now.

"You do realize those shoes are just loans so you can learn how walk in platforms," Sebastian pointed out.

Kurt sighed, "I do now."

"You saw the original designs; the knee boots I drew weren't just for show, Kurt. It took me a while but I finally found a suitable pair online in your size. They should come in the mail within the week. Until then, you need to learn how to properly walk in such high footwear so you won't injure yourself before or – heaven forbid - on the fated day."

"What if I still end up falling on my ass even after all of these lessons?" Kurt countered.

Sebastian couldn't help but laugh; that's how ridiculous the scenario seemed to him. He knew exactly how Kurt's moment in the spotlight would really go down; Kurt would strut down that runway like a god. The audience might not physically fall to their knees in unworthiness, but their reaction to seeing Kurt in all of his royal glory would still be a moment to remember.

"You won't. I have total faith in you," Sebastian said with complete confidence.

Kurt straightened his body up to lean against Sebastian's chest for support. "I'm going to try to have as much faith in myself as you do, Sebastian."

"Practice makes perfect, in many things; which is why we're having Unique teach you today. The question is, are you still willing to learn?"

Kurt nodded without hesitation. "Yes." He turned around in Sebastian's arm so they could share a loving kiss. "Good thing I didn't run very far, huh?"

"I would have gone after you for as long as it took to bring you back." That confession caused three more enjoyable kisses to follow the first. Sebastian's hands came to clasp the bottom of Kurt's jaw as they stopped to gaze at one another. The romantic moment didn't last for very long though, because Sebastian began to laugh uncontrollably.

Sebastian could hardly blame Kurt for scowling at him, though his hint of a smile suggested he wasn't truly annoyed.

"What's so funny?" Kurt demanded.

_'Pull yourself together,'_ Sebastian inner voice chided him. He decided to kiss Kurt again before explaining himself, if only to give him another minute to recover. "I never thought I could be so sickeningly sweet. I mean, we're sitting here kissing one another on the stairs and I'm loving every second of it. But if I had seen another couple showing the same amount of affection – even if they were gay – I'd have to fight the urge to say something snarky to them."

"I'm not the only one being subject to major changes then," Kurt said.

"That's putting it mildly Kurt. You may find it hard to believe but sometimes my confidence is nothing but an act I put on."

"In my opinion, masking your fear with something else can be just as good as not having any at all."

"Are you saying I'm afraid of love?"

Kurt rolled his eyes; he couldn't tell if Sebastian was being serious or just messing around. He thought it was probably somewhere in between. He could hear genuine fear in Sebastian's voice, which he himself might not even be aware of. But Sebastian's cockiness was still there was well, his fail safe coping mechanism for whatever the world threw at him. "Not at all. But you are afraid of hurting me," he explained._ 'And yourself.'_

On the off chance that Sebastian was now struggling not to unleash the emotions welling up in him, Kurt decided to save him the embarrassment. Though still secretly hoping that Sebastian would feel comfortable enough to share such deep feelings in the future. It was still early days for them though, so Kurt was more than happy to keep things from getting too heavy. "Let's head back inside. I have some heels to try on and attempt to walk in."

"About time," Sebastian muttered.

Kurt just smirked at his boyfriend and they walked back into the room hand in hand. As soon as they cleared the door Sugar appeared with big hurt eyes.

"Are you okay, Angel?" she asked.

Kurt nodded. "I'm good now." He gave her a quick hug to really convince her. "Are you still willing to show me the ropes Miss Unique?"

"You bet I am Angel, because it's going to take a lot of work to get you to reach these heights," Unique announced, holding up one of the shoes.

_

It took Kurt a full two hours before he managed to walk ten steps without stumbling over, and his aching feet had sure paid the price. He was still dangerously wobbly and Unique decreed they would need a number of follow up lessons before he'd get the hang of it.

Kurt had felt awkward and weird as he walked back in forth in front of his little audience of three. Unique had watched him intently, while Sugar kept cheering him on in her own sweet way and Sebastian every once and a while would interject to give his thoughts (and Unique had quickly agreed with his suggestions). Although Sebastian's_ wisdom_ felt somewhat pushy at times, Kurt still took the instructions to heart (as well as in stride).

When the lesson was finally over, Kurt had needed a moment to rest his poor tootsies before he could stand up again. Sebastian took advantage of this and spent a little time flirting with his boyfriend to help lift his spirits. But eventually he allowed the ladies to whisk Kurt away – only after calling a taxi to take them to Sugar's house – and Kurt had asked them to wait outside for a moment so he could say goodbye to Sebastian.

Kurt was swept up into Sebastian's arms and he grazed his lips across the side of Kurt's neck teasingly. "Dinner tomorrow, Kurt?" his boyfriend asked.

"I'd love nothing better, but only if it's my treat this time."

"So no fancy restaurant?" Sebastian's cute little pout was almost believable, except for his cheeky grin.

"I'm sure you'll cope well enough," Kurt said playfully.

Kurt could hear Sebastian's amused laughter as he went to join the ladies outside and he couldn't help but grin proudly to himself. His feet were still screaming at him, but somehow the pain didn't matter so much anymore.

"Everything okay between you two?" Unique asked as Kurt met them at the top of the stairs.

"Fine and dandy," Kurt said musically.

"Good! Then there's nothing to ruin our girls' night!" Sugar exclaimed, but then she seemed to realize what she had just said and she blushed. "Sorry."

"It's all right, and you didn't say anything that calls for an apology either. I'm truly humbled to be named an honorary girl despite being the wrong gender," tutted Kurt.

"Sebastian's joined us for tons of girls' nights out," Unique explained to Kurt.

Kurt laughed, "Of course he has and I definitely want to hear about those tonight!"

_'I'm in the freaking penthouse!'_ Kurt thought in amazement.

The Motta residence was so fabulously massive that it put the restaurants Sebastian had taken him to to total shame. The walls seemed to radiate wealth and Kurt really felt like he was in a different world as he followed Unique and Sugar down the hallways. But what really had him amazed was that Sugar's house wasn't that far away from his own place of residence.

"How much money does your dad have, Sugar?" Kurt demanded.

"A lot, more than I even know, but don't worry about it, Angel," Sugar said dismissively.

"Oh, I'm not worried. I'm just feeling slightly..." Kurt was having trouble coming up with the right word to express his current wonder.

"... intimidated?" Unique offered.

"Poor," kidded Kurt, who winked at Sugar teasingly.

"Wait until you see her bedroom," Unique said.

"I'm sure it will be much like she is; pink, stylish, girly and rich." Kurt made sure there was enough affection in his voice so she knew that list was a compliment.

"Guilty as charged," Sugar giggled as she lead her two friends inside.

Sugar's room ended up being all that Kurt had guessed and more, especially when it came to the colour of her room. Once Kurt's eyes adjusted to the intense brightness of wall to wall pink, he saw that the room was tastefully decorated and looked very lovely indeed. The walls themselves were painted in different hues of pink that made everything inside compliment the overall style of the room. Located in the middle was Sugar's large canopy bed, which was covered with stuffed animals and floral cushions. Kurt made a mad dash for it, welcoming the chance to rest his tired feet. He let out a contented sigh the moment his bottom made contact with the heavenly soft mattress. It was exactly what Kurt needed to fully relax and be able to enjoy himself.

"How do you girls do it?" Kurt moaned as he began to massage his right foot; his shoes hadn't even been stilettos like they tended to wear.

"The same way as anyone, through constant practice and trial and error," Unique answered matter-of-factly.

"And a whole lot of pain too," Sugar added with a giggle.

"Sometimes that pain is worth looking this good," Unique said, flipping her hair.

"Words to live by for sure, but I know I won't be wearing heels on a regular basis," Kurt muttered.

"You'll be saving yourself a lot of grief Angel; finding shoes in your size wouldn't be easy," Unique explained.

Kurt smiled at her playfully; it was so easy to forget she was a trans women. But he was glad of that, because it meant he wasn't treating her any differently (which was as it should be).

"I'm so amazed with how well all of you dress, you two ladies most of all." Kurt didn't need to wear women's clothes to appreciate how good Sugar and Unique always looked. Today Sugar's outfit choice was a pink and white striped top, white miniskirt and dark red tights. Unique's dress was black, hot pink and grey for the top part, and the connected skirt was black and ended just past her knees.

"I do try to wear my own things sometimes, but I love designer labels too much to give them up fully," Sugar said.

"As for me; I don't have any real choice but to make my own clothes most of the time. Curvacious women such as myself are not appreciated enough in the retail clothing industry. It's a crime that most stores won't go past size ten and if they do, they're either old lady clothes or double the price! When are the stores going to learn that you can't just size up a smaller sized outfit and expect it to look the same on a plus sized person. That's one of the reasons why I plan to start my own clothing line that will span a whole range of body types and sizes," Unique explained.

As Kurt listened to Unique rant about things he hadn't realized were a problem until now, he found himself already agreeing with her. Why should anyone who didn't fit into a predesigned body type have such trouble buying clothes? '_As if there wasn't enough wrong with the world already,' _Kurt thought begrudgingly.

"But enough about us Angel, let's turn our attention to you and how good _you've_ been looking," Unique said once she was done her long rant.

Kurt fingered the bottom hem of the reddish brown cashmere sweater he was wearing. Sebastian had found it for him in a discount bargain bin (he'd made Sebastian present him the receipt to prove it). It was true that Kurt did feel almost as good as he looked in his new wardrobe, but he still had much to learn. At least Kurt had friends to give him such an education though, and with that in mind Kurt went on to ask about what facial products to use. This line of questioning led to Kurt getting his first ever facial and his skin was left tingling afterwards.

"You know I still haven't heard the story of how you all first met," Kurt prompted.

"It shouldn't be surprising to hear that it starts with Sebastian; Unique was the first one to meet him," Sugar said.

Kurt's eyes widened. "Really?"

"We went to the same high school, Sebastian transferred there in his sophomore year after getting kicked out of yet another private school. Back then I was known as Wade and you wouldn't have recognized me, Angel. I felt like I was trapped with no escape, but where the prison was my own body. I met Sebastian towards the end of his first year there: I was in the same grade. I had seen him around before but we'd never talked. I thought he was dreamy and I wasn't the only one. From the second he stepped into that school, Sebastian set himself apart from the rest. Oh, there were a few out out students at school, but he was the most confident one. He walked around the halls like he owned them. He was a real prick at times, but he nobody cared; Sebastian attracted people to him left and right. He never bullied me or any of the other unpopular kids though, so he still had his own set of morals," Unique recounted.

From his spot on the bed next to Sugar, Kurt smiled as he listened to Unique talk about Sebastian in his early high school days. He could almost picture Sebastian as he strutted down those hallways, winking at the cute guys and sneering at his rivals. Sebastian would have passed him right by; but he reminded himself that this was Unique's story and not his own.

"I was singing to myself in the men's washroom one day-which I only went to during class to feel safe-when Sebastian nonchalantly walked out of a stall. He barely glanced at me and as he began washing his hands he said 'sing it sister'," Unique continued.

"He didn't?" Kurt gasped in disbelief.

"Oh, yes he did and I could barely believe it myself, Angel. Sebastian's smug face finally did it in for me, so I called him out without holding back. But the funny thing is, Sebastian just grinned charmingly at me before shrugging it off. He told me he hadn't meant it like that; when he'd heard me sing he thought I sounded like a true female powerhouse. That's when I thought maybe someone finally understood me."

"Did Sebastian take you under his wing?" Kurt asked.

Unique nodded. "Sebastian was the first person I ever came out to as a trans woman and you know what he did when I told him? He just gave me one his smug smiles and went 'Yeah I know.' Like it was no big deal," Unique explained, chuckling at the memory.

"God he's such a..." Kurt muttered, but no appropriate term came to mind.

"... smug selfish bastard?" Unique playfully offered.

"That too," Kurt chuckled.

"Meanwhile Puck and I didn't meet Sebastian or Unique until the start of the school year at SAIC," Sugar interjected.

Kurt was surprised to hear it had been that recently; his own first college term had gone by in the blink of an eye. He couldn't even imagine making friends whom he could become so close to in such a short time span. "You would never guess; considering how close all of you seem," Kurt said.

"When you find people who share the same vision as you and like you for who you are, you don't need years to become close. Sugar is my homegirl and I know she will be for a long long time, no matter where life takes us. The same goes for Puck and Sebastian, and you too Kurt; you're one of us now," Unique said.

"And no backsies," Sugar chimed, hugging Kurt's arm.

Kurt laughed, "I wouldn't worry yourself, because I'm not about to go anywhere."

_

Sebastian's call to Kurt couldn't have come at a better time; Kurt and his lady friends had just spent the past two hours gossiping about the designer. And even after all Kurt had learned about his boyfriend, he still answered his phone right away (but not before stepping out into the hall).

"Hey there, are you missing me already?" Kurt asked his boyfriend teasingly.

"You have no idea, Kurt," Sebastian replied.

"I guess this must be true love, huh?"

Sebastian paused for a moment. "Hmm? I dunno if I would go that far. Does our love need to be true?"

"Are you suggesting it's a lie?"

"Kurt, the true in this case shouldn't be taken literally; it obviously refers to something else."

Kurt frowned; Sebastian wasn't making very much sense. "Does it now? Then please enlighten me before I begin to question our relationship." He made sure to keep his tone playful enough that Sebastian wouldn't think he was angry with him.

"True love means forever Kurt, as in as if two people love each other enough nothing can keep them apart –save for death," Sebastian calmly explained.

"I take that you don't believe in the idea of soulmates?"

"Nope. Sorry if you feel differently but I'm not about to start pretending that I do just because we're together now. I do love you Kurt, and I know you love me, but we don't have any idea what the future has in store for us. And I honestly like not knowing..." Sebastian took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "... because that mystery is part of the fun."

Kurt was tempted to weigh in his own views, but he still felt reluctant to over the phone. "If that's what you really believe then I'm not going to try to change it, Sebastian."

"Wise choice, because if you had... let's just say that wouldn't have ended well."

Sebastian didn't have to say it for Kurt to know just how badly such a scenario would have gone, which was why Kurt was intentionally leaving the matter alone. If Kurt had heard the same confession when he and Sebastian had first met, his reaction would have been different, but he now understood Sebastian better -not to mention his own romantic beliefs-he no longer needed to believe in the idea of soulmates.

"Is there anything you do believe in?" Kurt prompted.

"You, myself... us... is that enough for you?" Over the phone it was almost impossible for Kurt to tell if he was being sincere or not, and yet Kurt felt that he was.

Kurt took a moment to regain his composure or he could end up crying tears of joy at this rate. "Yes, Sebastian, that's enough for me."

"Hey now, don't get all emotional on me. The girls will kick my ass if they think I'm the reason for it," Sebastian teased.

Thanks to Sebastian's humorous warning, Kurt was able to let out a therapeutic laugh before he said his goodbyes and ended the call. He spent a quick moment regaining his composure and slipped back into Sugar's bedroom. Sugar and Unique wasted no time in resuming their night of fun together and it wasn't long before Kurt completely lost track of time.

His phone ended up ringing again later that evening and he rolled his eyes upon hearing it. "That boy never lets up," Kurt muttered, thinking it had to be Sebastian calling him again.

"Don't act like you're not loving the attention, Angel," Unique teased.

Kurt's winked back at her playfully and he had planned to put Sebastian on speaker phone so they could all chat with him, but then he suddenly saw that it wasn't his boyfriend's name on the screen of his phone. "Oh no... this can't be happening," Kurt muttered in complete shock.

"What's wrong, Angel?" Sugar asked with concern.

Kurt kept staring at the phone, but the contact name didn't magically change to Sebastian's. "It's uh... it's not Sebastian who's calling me. It's my mom." Panic rushed through him; he wanted to ignore her call and hightail it home. He knew that would make things worse though, so there was only one thing to do: he had to face her. Kurt glanced helplessly at Sugar and Unique, mouthed 'sorry; to them and stepped outside of the room once again.

"Kurt Elizabeth Hummel, do you know what time it is?" Margaret Hummel's voice shouted the second Kurt clicked the answer button.

Kurt winced from hearing the anger in her voice; it was even worse than he thought. "I didn't realize-"

"You haven't come home for dinner once this week Kurt, and I thought that meant you were seeing to your studies. But when I ran into Joshua-I mean Professor Morgan-tonight at the supermarket, he mentioned your recent C- and asked if you were ok. You told me you had gotten a B+ Kurt. What is going on? I thought we were past the point where I needed to physically see your test scores anymore. Why did you throw that trust away and lie to me, Kurt? What in the world is going on with you?" Margaret demanded.

"I've made some friends all right. I didn't realize having a social life was forbidden," Kurt snapped in a moment of rebellion. He went dead silent after the words left his mouth; Kurt had never spoken to his mother that way before.

"We haven't forbidden you from doing anything, Kurt. But if these so called friends of yours are the reason for you lack in focus, then they can't be good for you." When Kurt said nothing in reply she added, "Come home Kurt, we need to talk. I feel like I don't know who you are anymore."

_'You never did,'_ Kurt thought bitterly, but he knew better than to push his luck and say this to her. "Yeah whatever, I'll head there now."

"Come straight home as well; no dawdling. Do you hear me, Kurt?" Margaret firmly ordered.

"Loud and clear," muttered Kurt, wishing he couldn't hear her. He hated how she treated him like he were still a child.

_'Screw her,'_ Kurt thought rebelliously as he cut the phone call before she could get another word in. He would pay for that tonight, but it hardly matter at this point; his mom was already furious with him. Of course his dad was still away on business too, not that he would have taken Kurt's side. Burt Hummel let his wife do most of the talking, especially when it came to managing their son.

It was time for Margaret Hummel to learn that just because Kurt wasn't her sweet little angel anymore didn't mean he was turning into a delinquent.

But Kurt still knew better than to try his mom's patience, so he quickly headed back inside Sugar's bedroom. Unique and Sugar instantly rose to meet him and their matching expressions of concern helped renew some of Kurt's tired spirits.

"What happened, Angel? Is everything okay?" Sugar frantically demanded.

"Could be better," Kurt replied with a shrug.

"Want me to hold you here against your will?" Sugar offered.

"Oh, if only that could work," Kurt laughed wishfully, touching her shoulder. "Thanks for offering though." Since his mom's phone call, Kurt had already begun to close himself off from the world. He wasn't doing this to distance himself from his friends; he just needed to hold himself together if he planned to make Margaret listen to reason. Kurt sighed heavily. "But this is what I get for letting my mom keep controlling my life even though I'm an adult now." While neither Sugar nor Unique had asked him the reason why, Kurt still felt that he should explain things to them. "I guess I had grown so accustomed to following her orders that it felt safe to me. Like if I were to become more independent, I wouldn't be able to succeed on my own. At home I could focus solely on my studies and not have to worry about getting a job to pay for tuition."

"Any idea what your mom's going to do?" Unique asked.

Kurt shook his head. "I have no clue, but I know what I'm going to do at least: I'm going to tell her the truth. Lying to her obviously isn't an option anymore, at least when it comes to my grades and befriending you guys... and how I'm your model now. I might even tell her that I'm gay but I dunno if I'll be able to go that far tonight." He took a deep breath; just talking about it to Sugar and Unique was already proving difficult.

"What if she tries to stop you from coming to the studio anymore?" Sugar questioned.

"Then I'll move out; I am nineteen after all. It's not like she can keep me there against my will," Kurt announced as he headed to the door. Sugar and Unique trailed after him, giving what supportive words they could along the way. He hugged them both goodbye at the gate and as he made his way to the correct bus stop, he brought out his phone to make a call.

"Oh, thank god you picked up," Kurt muttered after the third ring.

"I thought you said you were an atheist Kurt, so what's this all about?" The hint of playfulness in Sebastian's tone made Kurt wish they could just flirt as usual.

"My mom called me while I was at Sugar's; she found about the C- I got on my physics exam and she seems to think that means I'm starting off on a dark path now. She ordered me to come home; I'm heading there now. She has no idea what hell she's about to unleash though," Kurt grumbled as he speed-walked down the sidewalk.

"Take it from me Kurt, don't get angry; it only makes things worse. Remain as cool and detached as possible-they hate that," Sebastian advised.

That wouldn't be so easy when Kurt had years of bitterness stored up, but Sebastian still had a point (one he would be wise to remember). "Thanks for the tip. Wish me luck I guess," Kurt said.

"I'd offer to come with you, but we both know that's a bad idea. You need to do this on your own anyway, as much as I'd like to be there for you."

"Thanks for understanding me and what I need right now, Sebastian."

"Just remember to call me when it's all over, or else I won't be able to sleep tonight."

If it were any other night then Kurt would have flirtatiously replied 'oh so you do sleep? I had been wondering' but unfortunately there was no time for that. Kurt saw the bus coming around the corner, and so he was left with no choice but to cut their call short. "I gotta go... love you."

"Show her that not all angels are heavenly, babe," Sebastian said in encouragement.

"Will do," Kurt replied just as the bus pulled into the stop.

Kurt grinned; it was so like Sebastian to know exactly what Kurt needed to hear. He took a seat in the back of the bus and let out a heavy sigh. He ignored the people around him as he began to fidget his hands restlessly until he realized he probably looked like a drug addict and he forced himself to settle down._ 'If only I were an actual devil in disguise, then I could show her a thing or two,'_ Kurt muttered to himself.

But because he was in fact human, Kurt wouldn't have any otherworldly powers to call upon. It was up to him to turn his life around. Most of all, Kurt had to remind himself that neither of his parents were the enemy. They had caused much of his displeasure in life, but not all of it. They loved him, and had kept him safe and healthy. His current unhappiness had mainly happened because Kurt hadn't voiced his own wishes once he'd reached a certain age. He had just gone along with his parents' plan and tried to convince himself that he wanted it just as badly as they did.

When Kurt walked into his house he found his mother waiting for him in the living room and she looked none too pleased.

Margaret stood up at once; glaring icily at her son as she placed her hands on her hips. "And what do you have to say for yourself?"

Of course that was the first thing she would say. Kurt barely managed not to roll his eyes at her. This was going to be a nightmare that Kurt could never wake up from. He remembered Sebastian's advice as he tried to keep his anger in check. Kurt's balled his hands into fists but kept them at his sides. What would it take for her to realize Kurt was nineteen and no longer hers to govern?

"I'm not going to apologize for my actions, or make any excuses. But that's mainly because aside from withholding the truth from you-a fact I do regret-I don't think I've done anything wrong. But I did lie to you still, so stops now; I'm unhappy with my life mom, and I have been for a while. I can't live like I used to, where my life was full of nothing but schoolwork." Kurt was still standing at the door; he hadn't moved a step since closing it. It was easier to keep his emotional barriers in place if he kept himself at a safe distance. That way Kurt could pretend not to see his mother's surprise at hearing his confession.

"I know you've only doing what you think is best for me, and it's my own fault for not telling you otherwise... but I've missed so much already. These are suppose to be my glory years mom, so why is it that you've never stopped to ask if the life you've been pushing me towards is something I even want?" Kurt's heart was in his chest as he waited for his mom to say something, but she was remaining silent.

The wait was becoming unbearable, each passing second felt like hours and Kurt's integrity was chipping away at an alarming rate. Finally he couldn't take it any longer, so Kurt bravely stepped forward, walked over to his mom and stood right in front of her to force eye contact between them. Margaret's body posture was stiff to the point of being rigid; her brows were furrowed together and her mouth tightly pursed.

"I asked you a question, Mom."

Margaret stared back at her son with matched intensity; it was impossible for Kurt to know what she was thinking. "I have spent the last nineteen years trying my very best to see that you succeed at life, Kurt. And all in that time, you have never given me reason to think that you were unhappy."

_'You almost had me mom, but I know better than to believe your sincerity,_' Kurt thought, and oh how he wished he could say that aloud. But if he were to voice such an accusation to her, it would ruin the chance that they could keep things civil. There was no doubt in Kurt's mind that Margaret had chosen her words very carefully, in the hopes that Kurt wouldn't hear what she was really saying. Which was something along the lines of 'I've worked too hard to let you throw your life away, Kurt.' as well as 'What's so wrong in wanting the best for you?'

"You're right, I should have said something, but that still doesn't make up for the fact that you never asked me either."

"What's happened to you, Kurt? Is someone bothering you at school?"

Kurt fought the urge to laugh in her face; of course that's the only reason she could think of. This was so pointless, his mom couldn't understand what was really going on._ 'I guess I'll have to tell her then.'_

He paced back and forth for a moment as he wracked his brain for a way to begin. "I'm not a child..." Yes that could work. "... and yet you're still talking down to me as if I'm incapable of looking after myself. You've been so focused on '_making sure I succeed'_ that you never noticed that I grew up."

"I don't understand what you're even saying to me, Kurt," Margaret said.

"I don't want to waste the next four years struggling at a school that I can't stand. Do you want to know why my grades have been slipping? It's not just because I've made some friends. I was starting to hate my life, but I was too afraid to admit it. I didn't want to fail, I didn't want to disappoint you and dad, so I kept trying to make the best of it." Kurt had to stop talking just to keep the anger boiling up in him from seeping out. He went to stand behind the couch, resting his hands across the back of it.

"God only knows what would have happened if things had continued on for any longer. But lucky for us, I ran into some people who helped me realize the severity of my situation." Kurt cast his mother a bitter glance. "I didn't even realize that's what was happening at first either, because I was that stuck in denial." He knew he was over exaggerating, but not by that much.

"Who are these 'people' you have be spending all of your free time with?" Margaret demanded.

"I was just getting to that," Kurt said, taking great joy in bringing out his more sassy side. "They're good people mom, teenagers like me, and not anyone you should be worried about. They genuinely care about me too. The four of them are enrolled at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago-of their own will I might add-and are doing something they love. After meeting them and seeing how happy they all were I was struck with a realization: why didn't I deserve the same thing? Why can't I feel the same fulfilment? Why should I stay at a school that has no future for me? I might not know what I want out of my life yet, but I do know that I don't need to fit into a certain mold to be happy, Mom; I just need to be me."

Any hope that his mom would finally see the light was tossed aside when Kurt saw her frown in confusion. It was like they were speaking totally different languages, or living in completely separate worlds. That was it wasn't it? Margaret realized that she no longer knew her son, but she just couldn't fathom that she never knew him in the first place.

"That's why I said yes to being their model and started hanging out with them instead of studying. I was too afraid to tell you the truth, how I've been skipping my study groups to help them prepare for the show."

"What show is this?" Margaret asked.

"It's this big fashion show the school puts on each year, my friends are one of the teams competing. They're making an amazing outfit that I have the pleasure to wear for them on stage. It took me accepting the job to recognize what it felt like to do something I actually enjoyed. It wasn't long after then that I began to prefer it over fooling myself into thinking I wanted to be a grade grinder."

"So all the times you've said you were going to the library, or attending extra study sessions, you were really out with_ them_?" Margaret questioned, carefully taking a seat on the couch. She was a very closed off person, but Kurt did notice her clenched jaw, and if he had to guess, he would say she was somewhere in between shocked and appalled.

"Yes." Kurt didn't bother to join her; he was too on edge to sit still and he had no idea why. They weren't screaming at each other but in a way that was almost worse. It made Kurt feel like his mom didn't care enough to get angry. "I'm just sorry it took you calling me up and ordering me home to make me come clean." Kurt couldn't help but flash her a look of derision out of the corner of his eye.

"I was worried about you, Kurt. You've barely been home for the past week," Margaret snapped.

"I'm surprised you noticed." Kurt suspected if Margaret hadn't talked to his professor today it would have taken her longer. He was tempted to say this to her but his heart wasn't really in it to make it worthwhile. "But that still didn't give you the right to act as if I'd committed some sort of crime."

Kurt pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers; fuck (yes, he was so pissed that his brain had resorted to actual profanity) it was hard to keep things civil. He almost wished his mom would start shouting at him. "You certainly thought I was well enough to leave alone so you could go visit your sister this past week."

"How dare you speak to me that way!" she warned. When Kurt didn't apologize she rose to her feet, standing to her full height as she addressed him. Margaret crossed her arms across her chest; her scowl was back as well. "What about my feelings, Kurt? Do think it's easy for me to hear that my son's so unhappy with his life? And that I am one of the main reasons for your unhappiness?"

"I couldn't begin to guess; that's how little we know one another," Kurt answered without thinking. He immediately regretted the bluntness of his words, but he wasn't about to take them back or apologize.

Maybe if she had approached him in a less aggressive way he would have given her the benefit of the doubt, but because she had started this all by scolding him over the phone, Kurt wasn't in a very giving mood.

"I was your age once, Kurt. I remember how easy it was to feel lost in the world."

"Is that what you think is going on with me? That I've just lost my way and as soon as I realize this then things can go back to normal?"

"You have such a bright future ahead of you Kurt; I can't stand to watch you throw it all away," Margaret said, wringing her hands and pleading with her eyes.

Disgusted, Kurt snorted, "Bright?" That was the last straw; Kurt pushed himself off from the couch and stormed out of the room. But the second he did, Kurt knew he couldn't end things like that, so he came right back to face her head on. "It's ironic that you would call that future bright when to me it feels dark and colourless. I may be blowing things out of proportions slightly, but it's still the best way for me to describe my feelings." Kurt really should have known better than to think his mom would try to see things from his side. All she cared about was that fucking school and if Kurt did well there or not!

"That's it, this has got to stop. I'm dropping out of that hell of a school and nothing you can say will change my mind. I don't belong there! That C- I got is the biggest evidence of that and you know what mom, I'm glad I bombed the test, because now I'm finally able to walk away from it all," Kurt declared.

Hearing her son say that he was dropping out of college caused Margaret to throw her hands up in the air. "You can't be serious. You expect your father and I to just let you quit the school we paid thousands of dollars in tuition towards?"

"Watch me."

"You can't just run away from your responsibilities like that. You need to work hard for anything in life, Kurt."

"I have every intention to, mom. I'm going to do whatever it takes to achieve the life I not only want but deserve." Kurt threw back at her in defiance.

Margaret stepped back as she stared worriedly at her son. "And what does that mean?"

"Nothing you're probably imagining, I'm not dealing drugs and I didn't join a gang. I'm not asking for anyone's help either. I can make it on my own just fine. I should have moved out and lived on campus to begin with. But I didn't, I stayed here so you could keep close tabs on me and make sure I stayed on the straight and narrow path."

"You were doing so well at school..."

"That's only because I had nothing else in my life, and even then I was barely keeping ahead. There was so much pressure and yet I still didn't want to tell you and dad how difficult it was for me!" In his anger, Kurt had begun speaking so fast that he felt short of breath. He fought to calm himself down before panic could set in.

"You never said..." Margaret started to say, but her words only made it worse.

"Well I'm saying it now then! It's a done deal. As of this minute I am dropping out of school." This was so frustrating, Kurt needed to get away from this toxic environment (a dramatic accusation but it felt appropriate to him) and blow off some of this steam. Maybe when he and his mom both had time to think over what they'd said, they could talk maturely about Kurt's future, but that moment wasn't now. "It's too late."

"It's never too late to listen to reason, Kurt."

Kurt had been seconds away from admitting that he'd reached his limit and needed some time alone to reflect when he heard Margaret's ill-placed remark. He turned on his heels to face her, saw the stone cold determination in her blue eyes (the same shade as his) and fell apart. All of the resentment he felt towards her, all of the anger he'd built up over the last week and the endless amounts of stress he had felt over the last few years came at him like a flood.

"No!" he spat, jabbing his finger at her. "You're still not listening to-"

A sudden slap to the face cut Kurt off, silencing him into utter shock. "Pull yourself together!" Margaret shouted at him.

Shocked beyond belief, Kurt stumbled backwards; his mom had never hit him before. He clutched the side of his cheek with his hand; it felt hot to the touch still-or maybe that was more a product of his anger. No matter how stunned he was by the blow, Kurt still refused to raise a hand to anyone.

"Feel any better?" Kurt asked her with thinly veiled sarcasm.

By this point Margaret finally seemed to have seen the error of her ways but it had come too late; no amount of apology would make up for what she had done. "Kurt..." Margaret breathed, no doubt in a desperate attempt to reach her once-again emotionally closed-off son.

"No. You lost the right to continue this_ discussion_ the second you struck me."

Kurt finally understood he would never reach his mom. A line had been crossed that she couldn't come back from, and Kurt wasn't about to stick around and take her bullshit anymore. He turned his nose up at her, relishing in the rush of satisfaction it brought and gracefully walked across the living room to the stairs. Still ignoring her irritating presence, Kurt ascended them in an equally stylish fashion. But as soon as he was out of view, Kurt bolted to his room. There wasn't a lot of time. If he wanted to do this then he'd need to act fast, before his mom could catch on and try to stop him.

For once the fact that Kurt had so little he felt attached to in his room was to his advantage, so it didn't take him very long to gather it all up. Kurt threw his new clothes he'd bought with Sebastian into his biggest suitcase (why he even had one was anyone's guess, but he was glad for it now). Other than the clothes there wasn't much that he wanted to bring, and it felt oddly freeing to abandon the rest.

Back on the move, Kurt pressed onwards, never allowing himself a moment to stop and think that what he was about to do was reckless (or ill planned). He silently slipped out of his bedroom and carried his suitcase so his mom wouldn't be alerted by the sound of wheels turning. When he made it back to the living room, he found his mother there silently brooding on the couch. Good. He was glad she wasn't crying her heart out with remorse. It made it that much easier to go through with his plan.

Kurt walked right past her with luggage in tow, not giving her so much as a glance as he headed for the front door.

"Where do you think you're going?" Margaret demanded.

As much as Kurt would have liked to leave without giving her the time of day, his new more daring side wouldn't allow it. Sebastian would have been proud of the cool look of indifference Kurt gave her as he turned to look her way. "I'm no longer feel safe in this house," he said, pausing for effect.

"I'm leaving and I'm not coming back." Kurt took a step towards the door; just a bit further and he would be free. "And don't try to contact me until you're ready to listen for real," Kurt snarkily added.

"Are you running away?"

"No, I'm facing my fears and not letting you call the shots anymore. It's time for me to be my own person and even if that means I won't become the success story you expect me to be."

"What am I supposed to tell your father when he comes in two weeks?" Margaret asked.

Kurt let out a tired sigh; he'd forgotten about his dad, but he wasn't anything his mom could use keep him there. "Tell him that I'm sorry it turned out this way, and that I'm willing to talk to him if he wants. Which is something we've really never done; I know he works too much for the sake of the family, but he's never here when I need him: like right now."

"That's it then? Your father and I are nothing but strangers to you now?"

"If that's what it takes then yes, but time will tell it we need to go that far."

Margaret made a sound of utter disgust. "Fine then, go be selfish and abandon your family. You'll discover how hard it is to be on your own."

"I don't need you to tell that it's going to be difficult; I know that already, because I've never felt more alone than when I lived in this house!"

Fed up, Kurt opened the door and quietly closed it behind him, as if he were just leaving for some weekend getaway. Kurt hissed from the sting in his cheek; she'd really let him have it. He hadn't even realized how much being slapped could hurt. That dull pain triggered something deep inside of Kurt, a part of himself that he usually kept subdued, but not this time. So Kurt marched himself right back to the front of his house, opened the door, and poked his head inside.

"Oh, there's just one last thing: I'm gay-G-A-Y-likes to have sex with men-gay." Kurt announced right before slamming the door in her stupefied face.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

The neighbourhood where the Hummel family resided rarely had anything out of the ordinary happen; it was pretty much the epitome of suburban life. Yet if anyone were out on the streets that night, they would have seen a well dressed teenager speed walking down the sidewalk with a suitcase in tow.

Kurt was in such a state of anger that he wouldn't have noticed anyone even if they were there to see him. He made it a full two blocks from his house before the adrenaline running through his body dissipated, and the severity of what he had just done finally hit him.

"Oh, my god, I just came out to my mother!" Kurt blurted.

It was even bigger than that though, because Kurt had done it in an act of total spite. At the time it had felt good to drop the bomb on her, but now Kurt didn't feel so satisfied. That didn't mean he was about to go back and apologize; she had still slapped him. At least this way he wouldn't have to face his mom tomorrow morning, but it had still left him literally out on the street.

Kurt knew what he should do next, so before any doubt could enter his mind, Kurt brought up Sebastian's name from his cell's contact list.

His boyfriend answered almost immediately.

"Hey, babe, so how'd it go?" Sebastian asked in his normal casual voice.

Just the smooth sound of Sebastian's voice soothed Kurt's frazzled nerves; he was still on edge but it helped. "Um, good and bad I guess... depending on how you look at things..." he answered cryptically.

"Would you mind just telling me? Since I wasn't there to see how things went down myself."

"It's a long story and it's a pretty chilly night." Kurt waited to let his comment sink in; he imagined that Sebastian was frowning in annoyed confusion now.

"Kurt, where are you exactly?"

Kurt looked around for the nearest street sign to catch his bearings. "Standing on the sidewalk about two and a half blocks from my house. Could you come get me? I promise I'll explain everything to you as soon as you do. I just want to leave the area in case my mom decides to come looking for me." Kurt highly doubted she would though; his mom was too proud for that.

"I'm on it. I could never leave my boyfriend out in the cold. Text me your exact location and I'll be there as soon as I can," Sebastian said instantly.

Kurt's shoulders sagged with relief. "Thank you, Sebastian. There's a bus stop nearby so I'll meet you there." He sent Sebastian both the street address and the stop number to make it easy for Sebastian to find him.

"Don't sweat it, okay. You'd do the same for me, and it will be nice to play the hero for once."

"So does that mean you've been playing the role of a villain up until recently?" Thank goodness for Sebastian's odd sense of humour. Kurt couldn't think of anyone else who he could be joking with after such an ordeal.

"I'd tell you but I should focus on driving. We can always come back to it once I've found you and you fill me in on all the details." Sebastian stopped talking for a moment and Kurt heard various shuffling noises. "I dunno why I never bothered getting bluetooth in this fucking convertible."

"Well it's too late to grumble about it now." Kurt wasn't very happy about having to put an end to their conversation; the moment he stop hearing Sebastian's voice, panic would surely set in.

"Are you okay?" Sebastian asked all of a sudden.

"No, I'm not." How could he explain his current state without giving too much away? "I'm feeling very emotionally bruised at the moment..." Kurt shuddered, both from the emotional wringer he'd just gone through and the brisk night air. "...and cold."

"Well I dunno about the bruised part, but I can at least bring your temperature back up as soon as I get there."

Kurt snorted; hearing one of Sebastian's classic come-ons was exactly sort of thing he needed. "Just hurry it over here. I need you." He didn't like how desperate he sounded and he hoped that wouldn't worry Sebastian too much.

"I'm coming for you Kurt, so don't you dare run," Sebastian said.

"Never," Kurt breathed before he hit the end call button on his phone.

As much as Kurt hated to admit it, it was probably good that it would take Sebastian some time to arrive. He might love Sebastian, but it still wasn't easy for Kurt to depend on someone so completely. Just because they were dating didn't mean Sebastian should have to deal with Kurt's crap too.

Kurt walked over to the bus stop he'd mentioned to Sebastian and sat down on the bench. He leaned forward and buried his head in his hands as he hunched over. The right of his cheek still stung a little from his mother's slap, but Kurt ignored it. He didn't regret his choice, or that's what he kept trying to tell himself, only that wasn't going so well. "Fuck it all!" Kurt swore under his breath.

Just as Kurt stood up from the bench, too jumpy to sit still, he heard the sound of a car coming around the corner. The block was lit enough for Kurt to see that Sebastian had come to his rescue as promised (not that he had doubted him). Sebastian wasted no time in pulling up beside Kurt on the curb and he swung the driver's door open with the engine still running.

Sebastian's eyes met Kurt and his half grin changed to show true concern. "Hey there. I had planned to say something like 'going my way' but fuck that. You look like you've been to hell and back, Kurt," Sebastian admitted as he shut off his car so he could climb out to be at his boyfriend's side.

Kurt barely waited until Sebastian's feet had met the pavement before pulling him in for a much needed hug. Sebastian grabbed Kurt's waist tightly, refusing to let go as Kurt pressed his head against Sebastian's shoulder. Kurt wasn't crying but Sebastian seemed to know that didn't mean that he wasn't still in a rough emotional state.

"Do you wanna get in the car now or wait out here for a bit still?" Sebastian softly asked.

"Stay here, at least until I've recovered enough." Kurt eventually pulled back to smile weakly at Sebastian, but instead of grinning back, his boyfriend's face deadpanned.

"What?" Kurt asked, frowning in confusion.

Sebastian brought his head close to Kurt's to gently touch the right side of Kurt's cheek with his fingertips. Kurt couldn't help but flinch slightly in response and Sebastian's scowl turned from mildly concerned to downright menacing. Before Kurt could ask what had gotten into him, Sebastian had brought out his phone to use as a flashlight to get a better look at Kurt's new injury.

"Did she fucking hit you, Kurt?" Sebastian whole being seethed with rage, so much that Kurt feared he might do something reckless.

"Yeah..." Kurt began to admit, but his explanation was cut short when he had to physically hold Sebastian back. "Sebastian, don't! She's not worth it!"

"The hell she isn't!"

"I know you're pissed, but please hear me out before you decide what you want to do!"

Either the desperation in Kurt's voice made it possible for Sebastian to listen to reason, or he'd realized running off to confront Margaret wasn't what his boyfriend needed right now. Whatever the actual reason, Sebastian's body went still and he just placed his hands on Kurt's shoulders.

"Fine, but start talking," Sebastian muttered.

Kurt took hold of Sebastian's hand and walked them both over to the bench; although Sebastian was the only one to take a seat. Kurt remained standing in front of him as he told Sebastian what had happened when he'd come home to face his mom. He was extra careful when he got the part where the slap had taken place. Kurt wasn't about to justify her actions, but he did need Sebastian to understand why he didn't want him to take any actions against her.

When Kurt finally finished his story, he took a seat next to Sebastian and leaned against him for support. Sebastian placed an arm possessively over his front of his chest.

"I don't know what came over me when I told her I was gay like that," Kurt said in closing.

"I think it was right on the mark, and totally justified, considering how she conducted herself, Kurt," Sebastian weighed in. "I just wish I had been there to see it, and her reaction for myself."

Kurt sighed, "I just couldn't take another abrasive word from her, so I lashed out in the best way I thought possible. Don't get me wrong, at the time it felt amazing, and the rush afterwards was even better. But that high didn't last for very long and when I came crashing back down... the horror of what I had done hit me... hard."

"Don't you give her an ounce of pity Kurt, she brought this on herself," Sebastian said firmly.

"I know... it's just not how I pictured coming out to her would be like."

"That's true for a lot of people, myself included. I never thought coming out to my own parents would be so boring." Sebastian wrapped both of his arms around his waist and pulled Kurt in close, ignoring the fact that they were sitting outside in the middle of the night.

"She just wouldn't listen to me. Nothing I said made her understand where I was coming from."

"My mom first slapped me when I was seven years old," Sebastian said.

Started by the sudden confession, Kurt turned around to look Sebastian in the eye. "What did you do to bring that on?" Kurt asked, though he already feared the answer.

"I called her a really bad word, on purpose and right to her face," Sebastian replied.

"How bad are we talking here?"

"The baddest you can go, even for an adult." Sebastian didn't need to elaborate; it was pretty clear what word he was referring to.

If Sebastian was calling his mom such things at the young age of seven, then what kind of childhood had he even had? From what Sebastian had told him about his life growing up, Kurt thought he had a pretty good idea but clearly not.

"The second after she did it my mom fell apart and started crying like a baby. That's the first time I realized even though my mom was the adult between us, she was the more childish one. Needless to say I grew up pretty quick after that, but I was still a rebellious little shit so that slap was just the first of many."

"Why did you stay with her so long?" Kurt asked.

Sebastian shrugged. "It wasn't so bad, having a mom like her gave me a lot of freedom."

"Come on," Kurt said as he urged Sebastian to stand up. "Let's go inside your car before our butts freeze to this bench."

Sebastian smirked at Kurt but followed him over to his convertible that was parked in front of them. He opened the door for Kurt and once he was safely seated inside, he finally released his hold on Kurt's hand so he could put his suitcase in the trunk. He then went over to the driver's side and piled inside, but he didn't start the engine yet.

"Any idea what you want to do now?" Sebastian asked as he reached for Kurt's hand across the stickshift.

Kurt shook his head. "I haven't gotten that far yet. All I know is that I don't want to go back home tonight... or maybe ever again."

"You can always come stay with me, you know, until you figure out what you are going to do next," Sebastian suggested.

It would have been impossible for Kurt to hide his relief when Sebastian willingly opened his home to him, so he didn't even try. Deep down Kurt knew that Sebastian would never turn him away, but he'd still be too afraid to impose himself upon Sebastian like that. They'd barely been dating for two weeks and now Sebastian was stuck with a homeless boyfriend. Kurt doubted any of Sebastian's past relationships had lasted long enough to get to 'living in with each other' stage.

"If it's not too much trouble," Kurt teased, albeit weakly.

Sebastian grinned at Kurt until he cracked a small smile. "It's no trouble at all, and I insist you stay with me Kurt. You know, as a favour to me."

Kurt gave Sebastian a peck on the cheek to show his thanks. The one upside from the events of the night was that sex was about the farthest thing from Kurt's mind right now. That might change when he found himself potentially sleeping beside Sebastian, but he would tackle that hurdle if and when the moment came. For the time being, he was happy to accept the safety Sebastian was giving him, and he was just grateful to have someone he could trust enough to depend on.

When Kurt entered 'Chez Smythe' (Sebastian had smirked as he had said this) he quickly saw that it was no Motta mansion, but the one bedroom room apartment was still nothing to sneeze at. In fact, Sebastian's_ humble_ abode was anything but, and after seeing it with his own eyes, Kurt realize how shabby his family home was in comparison. Located on the more wealthy side of Chicago, the apartment was stylishly decorated more than any average college freshman could afford. Sebastian never hid the fact that the only reason he could live in such a place was thanks to his rich dad who had bought (yes _bought_, not rented) the apartment for his son for his sweet sixteen.

Kurt let Sebastian take his jacket to put it away without any protest; he was too busy having a good look around anyway. If only he didn't feel so emotionally drained then he would have asked Sebastian for a proper tour.

Kurt smiled at Sebastian when he returned to his side. "Forget the studio;_ this_ is what paradise is all about, Sebastian."

"It is now that you're here with me," Sebastian replied with only the hint of flirtation.

As much as he appreciated Sebastian's delicate treatment, Kurt wasn't about to deny them the pleasure of sharing their first kiss in Sebastian's home. All it took was Kurt fluttering his eyes at Sebastian for his boyfriend to clue in. The kiss that followed was on the tame side but no less enjoyable.

"So tell me Sebastian, is your couch as comfortable as it looks?" Kurt knew that Sebastian wouldn't expect him to sleep there but it was fun to pretend otherwise.

Sebastian smiled at Kurt, playing right along with his game. "It is, but you're more than welcome to share my bed with me, Kurt. There's plenty of room for the two of us and I promise I won't try to pull any stunts on you either."

"I'll be sure not to give you any reason to test your control as well."

"So no skimpy night attire then?" Sebastian asked, giving Kurt his best pout.

Although hardly convincing, Sebastian's antics did make Kurt laugh. "I don't have anything as sexy as that I'm afraid. I normally just wear a t-shirt and a pair of pyjama pants to bed." He shook his head affectionately at Sebastian, happy that the drama of the night could be pushed aside for now. "What would you ever consider as skimpy night attire for men?" He might not know much about fashion, but Kurt doubted mainstream male lingerie was even a thing.

"Off hand?" Sebastian rubbed the bottom of his chin with his hand as he considered the possibilities. "A g-string comes to mind... maybe with a black satin corset."

Kurt snorted, "Like that would be comfortable to sleep in."

"And what do you imagine I wear to bed, Kurt?" Sebastian's eyes were gleaming with cheekiness; he looked like a kid in a candy store, but who had no money to buy anything.

Although woefully tired, Kurt's mind was still able to conjure up what he suspect Sebastian wore to bed. He knew he was blushing, and he could tell this more from Sebastian's bemused grin than the warmth spreading through his cheeks. Sebastian cocked his head to the side as he continued to stare at Kurt, waiting for his reply. "If I were to be perfectly honest…" Kurt stammered, "I imagine you wear nothing but your own skin and sleep in the nude."

"I love clothing too much for that, Kurt," scoffed Sebastian. "I have quite an extensive collection of men's sleepwear. I should show it to you sometime... no wait, why don't I lend you something from it to wear tonight?"

"Sure why not, I think I deserve some extra comfort," Kurt said, with a loud yawn.

Sebastian grinned back at him; this was not how he imagined Kurt's first night at his place would go. But none of that mattered right now, because what Kurt needed most at this point was a good night's sleep. So he took Kurt by the hand, used the remaining one to pick up his suitcase, and led him to his bedroom. He wasn't about to tell Kurt that he'd never had any of his past hook-ups spend the whole night at his place. His exes had, but not often and only when they were both too worn out from sex to do anything except collapse onto the bed.

The trip from the front door to Sebastian's bedroom was short and yet Kurt kept yawning the whole way. The poor guy. Kurt had gone through a lot today; the walking-in-heel lessons, girl's night and then facing his mom. He needed to get Kurt safely into bed before he completely crashed. Not that Sebastian wouldn't carry him there and tuck him in. He just highly doubted that Kurt would give his consent to changing his clothes while he slept.

Sebastian guided Kurt by his shoulders as he sat down on the foot of the bed. "Wait right here babe, and leave it to me. I got you covered."

Sebastian disappeared into his closet amid the tinkle of Kurt's light laughter.

"I'm sorry I'm not making our first sleepover very fun for you," Kurt said in the loudest voice he could manage.

"Who says I'm not enjoying myself?" countered Sebastian, who had wasted no time in selecting something appropriate for his boyfriend to borrow. Fortunately for him, Sebastian had kept Kurt's comfort in mind when he'd made his final decision. At first glance, Kurt might not think much of the seemingly normal pyjama set. Except the long sleeve navy cotton jersey top and the pale blue drawstring pants were by NN.07 and totalled $150 in retail value.

At his return, Sebastian found Kurt routing through his now opened suitcase, and in his boyfriend's hand was a tube of high end facial cream. (Sugar had probably given it to him). "Still going through with your new nighttime skin regimen I take it?"

Kurt nodded at him, apparently too tried to do anything else. Sebastian left him to the task and laid out his loan of clothing on the bed. He was tempted to give Kurt a few suggestions about his application technique but Kurt-in his tired grumpiness-would probably just turn snarky.

"Are you able to dress yourself or should I help you?" Sebastian saw Kurt roll his eyes through the reflection of his vanity mirror. Since Kurt clearly had things under control, Sebastian went into his adjoining bathroom without another word. Sebastian stalled in the bathroom longer than usual as he changed into a Hanro brand cotton jersey striped print shirt and short set. After he thought enough time had passed, Sebastian casually strolled back into his bedroom. Kurt had just finished pulling the shirt over his head and he looked like he could drop at a moments notice.

It felt odd for Sebastian to harbour nurturing feelings for someone, but he just went with it and helped Kurt into bed. There was still enough energy left in Kurt to bat Sebastian's hand away when he tried to tuck him in.

"Thank you for letting me stay over, Sebastian," Kurt whispered after they shared a quick kiss goodnight.

Eyes brimming with love, Sebastian smiled as he went over to his side of the bed. "It's my pleasure, babe." Kurt made no sort of reply, not because he was unmoved by his boyfriend's lovely words of sentiment, but because he had already fallen asleep.

The night kept on getting weirder for Sebastian, who carefully slipped under the covers, even though he doubted Kurt would stir from the movement. If anyone aside from his friends in Paradis Bise had heard the nice things he'd done for Kurt tonight, they wouldn't have believed it. Neither could Sebastian, and yet here he was, lying beside his boyfriend. Oh well, Sebastian really didn't give a shit if his bad-boy reputation was forever ruined now. He considered himself more of a playboy anyway, or he used to. Now Sebastian was a boyfriend. and while he loved Kurt, he wasn't about to start smothering him with affection.

Sebastian turned on his side and gazed at Kurt's angelic face as he waited to fall asleep. Just the fact that Kurt trusted Sebastian enough to let his guard down touched him. Kurt had probably never shared a bed with another person before. He certainly was a class act blanket hog, and could he be taking up any more room? Luckily for Kurt, Sebastian was more than happy to snuggle up nice and close.

"You'd better not be a kicker, Kurt," Sebastian mumbled before he closed his eyes.

_

Kurt would be the first to admit that, despite his attempts to embrace rising at an early hour, he still wasn't very much of a morning person. So he woke with the same old groggy tiredness of any other day.

"Morning, glory," a voice said.

Still not awake enough to remember the events of the prior night, Kurt mumbled something inaudible as he shoved his hand in the direction of the voice. Had he forgotten to set his alarm again? Would it have hurt his mom to give him a few more minutes rest before barging into his room?

"Five more minutes," Kurt grumbled as he buried his head into his pillow.

"By all means go back to bed Kurt, but just so you know, I'll be heading off to school soon," the voice explained.

Kurt realized that the voice sounded nothing like his mom's, and his eyes snapped opened to find a man leaning in front of him, dressed in yet another stunning three-piece suit (this one being a striking purple!) and grinning at him. Kurt's brain functions kicked in just in time for him to remember his identity, so all he did was smile back at him weakly. Kurt felt blissfully warm; he was all snuggled up in Sebastian's bed and he didn't want to move.

"I guess everything that happened last night wasn't just a dream then," Kurt said with a yawn.

"Nothing gets by you in the morning, huh?" Sebastian replied, giving him one of his classic smirks.

"What time is it even?" Kurt asked as he forced his tired body into a sitting position.

"Early enough that you can go to back to sleep once I'm gone." Sebastian leaned in for a tender kiss. "You've earned the right to sleep in in any case. I bet this is the first Monday of your life where you've been able to laze about. I'll come grab you once class is over so we can head to the Atelier together."

Kurt nodded. He wasn't sure what he could (or should) do once he finally got up for the day. As tired as he felt, Kurt doubted he could actually sleep the whole afternoon away.

"Sugar sent me a whole slew of texts this morning asking how you're doing. I told her you'd get back to her today," Sebastian said.

"I'll contact her as soon as I'm up." Kurt had turned his phone off last night in case his mom tried to call him. "If it's all right with you, I'll just meet you at the studio. I don't want to be a burden..."

Sebastian rolled his eyes. "Oh Kurt, how you can be so dramatic this early in the morning is above me." He gathered Kurt up into his arms, hugging him tightly before he pulled back and kissed him on the forehead. "You're not a burden, you're my boyfriend, who I love enough to let into my home without question. But I am glad you're making your own requests still, instead of feeling indebted to me."

"Is that what I was doing?" Kurt questioned, smirking. "I had no clue."

"I'll leave the keys to the studio on the counter by the front door. Help yourself to any food in the fridge you can find. Think of my home as your home for however long your stay here will be Kurt. I honestly have nothing here that I'd want to hide from you, so you don't have to walk on any eggshells when you do get up."

"Even when it comes to your wardrobe?" Kurt had brought his own clothing of course, but he couldn't help but wonder what lay within Sebastian's closet.

"By all means, feel free to raid my closet to your heart's content. We're luckily almost the same size in clothing as well, so most of my wardrobe should fit you nicely."

However hopeful Kurt had been, he still hadn't expected Sebastian to so willingly share his clothes. Touched beyond belief, Kurt fell backwards on the bed in embarrassed surprise. But Sebastian didn't react to the melodramatic display, he merely shook his head at Kurt and took his leave.

_'I wonder what it's like to enjoy school so much that even having a boyfriend stay over couldn't keep him from being on time,'_ Kurt thought wistfully.

Kurt stretched himself on Sebastian's king size bed; his sheets were so soft to the touch, he never wanted to move from this spot. While he knew he couldn't spend the rest of his life tucked away in Sebastian's bed, he could at least allow himself to sleep in for once.

With Kurt safely ensconced in his bed, Sebastian was able to head off to SAIC knowing that his sleeping beauty was resting peacefully. A fact he would no doubt be assuring his friends of as soon as he arrived on campus. He'd already gotten a number of obnoxiously demanding texts from both Sugar and Unique, and Puck even had sent him a brief 'Be good.'

Sugar was the first one to find Sebastian and even in her girly peach and yellow dress, her cute exterior did nothing to mask her fierceness as she came at him. Her eyes were wide with determination and if Sebastian didn't know that he hadn't done anything wrong, he would have feared for his life.

She made a mad dash for him, barely stopping in time to not sent them both crashing to the ground. "Sebastian! Where's Angel? Is he okay? What happened with him and his mom?"

In her desperation to learn Kurt's fate, Sugar's hand had found its way to Sebastian's necktie. He quickly grabbed her wrist in attempts to save himself from choking under her firm grip.

"Suffocating your source of information is bad idea, you know," Sebastian wheezed when he succeeded in freeing himself.

"Sorry!" Sugar apologized but her eyes were still all intense and wide. "I'm just dying to know what happened to Angel! He won't answer his phone!"

Sebastian winced at the piercing sound of her voice; she really needed to chill out. Didn't she realize he wouldn't be acting so calm if something bad had happened to Kurt? "Kurt sends his apologizes for his radio silence. He turned off his phone so his mom couldn't reach him."

"He ran away from home didn't he?"

"He did. It seems that in spite of his countless attempts, nothing he said made his mom listen to reason; so he left."

"Oh, my god. What did she do for that to happen?" Sugar gasped.

Since they hadn't touched base on what he should or shouldn't tell people, Sebastian decided to leave the details up for Kurt to explain. Of course Sugar would never let him get away without saying something, so he tried to pacify her first with a friendly pat on the shoulder. "What adults who don't know how to communication with the younger generation often do; she couldn't see anything past her own reasoning. I got a call from Kurt shortly after he vacated the premises, and he spent the night at my place."

"Is he all right?"

Sebastian shrugged at her. "It's difficult to say at this point. He was slightly cranky this morning but that's to be imagined. He's probably still sleeping right now, but he's going to meet us at the Atelier once school is over for us." he saw her frown at him, so he promptly added, "Oh, and he's promised me that he'd contact you as soon as he gets up."

Now that Sugar had finally been brought up to date concerning Kurt, the tenseness in her small body began to loosen. She didn't affectionately take hold of his arm as they walked along to class, which made Sebastian feel slightly apprehensive. That inkling was proven correct when he saw Sugar narrow her eyes at him warily. Maybe he should have taken Kurt's lead and just stayed in bed for the day. Oh well, it was too late to do that now; he was already there.

Then Sugar's judgemental stare changed into a mischievous grin and Sebastian realized what she was thinking. "I didn't lay a finger on Kurt, Sugar. What sort of man do you take me for?" He could have said this and make it sound as if he were being completely serious, but since it was Sugar, Sebastian quickly smirked at her.

Sugar returned his playful smile, finally taking his arm. "I was just checking; we tease each other all the time like that, Sebby."

"That we do, and since we are such good friends, I should warn you to tread lightly when you ask Kurt any questions. I know you're worried about him, and so am I, but he's a very independent person. Knowing him, Kurt will put on a brave face for our sakes, and pretend that he's not hurting on the inside."

"You really have fallen hard for Angel, have you?"

It was no wonder that Kurt and Sugar had become such fast friends; Sugar's sweet albeit pushy nature was exactly the sort of person Kurt needed. Sebastian didn't feel jealous about their growing closeness either; he thought Sugar was the perfect partner in crime to bring their precious_ angel_ out of his shell.

"Can you honestly blame me?" Sebastian asked.

"Nope," Sugar agreed.

_

It was well into the afternoon when Kurt finally felt ready to face the day and get out of bed. At first it was difficult for him to wrap his head around the idea that last night had actually happened. Kurt had stood up to his mother, told her he was dropping out college, vengefully came out to her, and moved out of the house! All in the span of roughly thirty minutes. It was mind boggling.

Still dressed in Sebastian's pyjamas, Kurt stumbled into the bathroom to take a much needed shower. There were more bath product that Kurt thought one person could use, and he chose things to use at will. The same scene met him at the bathroom sink, where even more facial and hair products awaited him. Kurt shook his head at the sight of them; he feared to think what the total cost of all of this stuff was!

Kurt was just glad that he was starting to get the hang of styling his hair, and once he was happy with his appearance, he ventured back into the bedroom. But just as he was about to gain the courage to go inside of Sebastian's closet, he saw his boyfriend had done the task for him already. Hanging over the closet door was a fully put together ensemble.

Even when Kurt knew Sebastian wouldn't be offended if Kurt chose his own outfit, he decided to humour his boyfriend. Kurt still planned to take a good long look inside of his closet once he changed though. Kurt picked up the shirt Sebastian had selected and noticed there was no brand label to be found. Another Sebastian Smythe original then; he should have known. Kurt had never been one for turtlenecks, yet as he slipped the sweater over his neck and looked into the vanity mirror, he instantly saw how flattering the results were.

Somehow Sebastian had turned an ordinary long sleeved turtleneck sweater into something splendidly clever. There were gold buttons starting at the right collar that ended just before the underarm on the same side. Giving it an almost Asian feel to it, but not so much that it seemed unnecessary. Kurt loved the rich green emerald colour, and the soft feel of the fabric was equally pleasant.

The jeans Sebastian had pieced together with the turtleneck however turned out to be from Kurt's own suitcase. Just the fact that Sebastian would think to include something that was from his own wardrobe made Kurt smile. He slipped on his jeans and spent a few minutes posing in front of his mirror, smiling at his handsome reflection. The last item turned out to be a fetching black cap and Kurt giddily placed it upon his head (even though it hid his flawlessly styled coiffure).

"Oh, I am totally loving this," Kurt said, grinning with approval._ 'And so would Sebastian,'_ he realized.

Kurt decided to show Sebastian just how good he looked in the outfit he had cooked up for him, so he snapped a photo with his phone and sent it to him. Since Sebastian should be in class by now, Kurt didn't expect him to reply right away. Hunger drove Kurt towards the kitchen; he hoped Sebastian had a well stocked fridge. Kurt wouldn't call himself a chef by any account, but he did manage to throw together a decent brunch still.

He was dying to have a good look around Sebastian's apartment, but before he could begin his self guided tour, there was one thing he had to do.

_'Sugar's probably making Sebastian's life miserable,'_ Kurt thought as he brought up her contact info in his phone. She would also be in class but Kurt still left her a message that he was doing okay and as soon as she was free to talk, he'd bring her up to date.

After he sent the text Kurt noticed his inbox was full with new messages. That wasn't too surprising and as he guessed, they were all from either Unique or Sugar. Or so he thought, until he got to the bottom of the list and saw that the final message was from his mom. Though he still wanted nothing to do with her, he decided to read what she had written.

_**I don't expect you to come home, but you could let me know you're alive at least.**_

Kurt rolled his eyes: to think that Sebastian called _him _dramatic!

_I'm still alive, and gay. I spent the night with my boyfriend._

Much like he had done the night prior, Kurt didn't give himself a moment to rethink things as he hit the send button. Margaret would probably delete the message the second after reading it, but she had brought things upon herself (again). Would it have hurt her to word herself a bit more wisely? Kurt should have known better than to hope she would have learned from her past mistakes.

Kurt's resentment towards his mom was cut short when he heard his phone get a new text message. He held his breath in nervous anticipation; knowing his luck, it was from_ her_.

Only it wasn't; the message was from Sebastian.

_**You finding your way around my place all right?**__  
_

Before Kurt could answer, Sebastian sent him another one.

_**Loved the photo by the way.**_

_I'm muddling along. So you liked what you saw? It's good a look?_

_**You're like handsome in a bottle, babe. You look very nice indeed. Also did I mention hot?**_

A ridiculous giggle escaped Kurt's mouth; he could just picture Sebastian wiggling his eyebrows provocatively at him.

_As much as I like flirting with you in text form, I better call Sugar before she explodes._

_**Her pestering has gotten nearly unbearable. I dunno how Puck puts up with her.**_

_Oh please, you adore her._

_**Jealous are we, Kurt?**_

_Don't try to change the subject back to you._

_**Fine then. I'll see you in Paradise. Try not to miss me too much.**_

_Until then, Sebastian. Love you._

Kurt's phone call with Sugar ended up lasting for her entire lunch break and he managed to answer every one one of her questions. After bidding her adieu for now, Kurt was left to his own little adventure in Sebastian's bachelor pad and there was no telling what treasures he might find.

"Now where to begin my quest," Kurt muttered to himself. Sebastian's love for fancy words was rubbing off on him; it was too bad he wasn't there to hear it himself. "Though_ quest_ is a bit of stretch since it's an apartment and not some dark and dangerous chasm."

The kitchen seemed as good a place as any to begin with, especially since he was conveniently there already. The first thing Kurt examined was the fancy table he was still seated at; its wooden finish was deep brown and had a vintage nuance to it. Kurt figured Sebastian had probably bought it second hand, perhaps at some high end flea market or antique shop. In any case, it fit the whole vintage-chic motif of Sebastian's kitchen. Two chairs of the same wood were on either end, one of which Kurt had sat down on for his meal.

_'He must not have many visitors,'_ Kurt thought, then it dawned on him why that was._ 'Or the only company he kept was the men he slept with-if he brought them here at all.' _

While the decor was certainly eye pleasing, there was no_ booty_ to be found. Just a bunch of high end white colour appliances and a bowl of convincingly real looking fake fruit. Kurt was about to head somewhere else when something strange caught his eye. One of the first things Kurt had noticed since waking was how clean Sebastian's apartment was; there wasn't an item out of place. So when Kurt saw that the only thing inside the white wastecan near the table was a crumpled piece of paper, his curiosity was piqued.

Kurt wasn't worried that he was crossing a line with his harmless snooping; Sebastian had told Kurt that he had nothing to hide. So he opened up the paper and discovered that it was obviously a rejected clothing design. Kurt grinned; good, he was glad to find physical proof that his talented boyfriend still has his limits.

It was time for Kurt to move on, because he'd searched practically every nook and cranny of Sebastian's kitchen and hadn't found anything else of interest. The living room should fare better Kurt hoped, and he headed off there next. Kurt walked over to the white leather couch he had thought he would possibly be spending the night on.

"Let's just see how comfy you really are," Kurt muttered as he slumped himself down on it. As Kurt settled himself down and let out a content sigh; first the chaise lounge at the studio and now this, Sebastian sure knew how to buy furniture.

Sebastian's claims that he wasn't that much of a movie guy proved to be true when Kurt couldn't find a single DVD-or even a DVD or Blu Ray player for that matter-in the living room. He did however see that Sebastian had what looked like a DVR, so Kurt turned on the TV to get to the bottom of things. A quick check to Sebastian's recorded programs list gave a little window into what his media taste were.

"The full season's worth of the Next Top Model? Seriously, Sebastian? Way to be predictable," Kurt chuckled with amusement.

In front of Sebastian's impressive sixty inch television screen was a coffee table with a top surface made from royal blue stained glass. Kurt knelt down in front of it; it felt oddly calming to stare at-soothing-like he was watching the ocean or a fish tank. After spending another minute admiring it, Kurt stood back up to see what other interesting things were about. Beside the couch was a matching sofa chair and in between the two was a dark wooden end table. Freshly arrange flowers (orchids it looked like) were displayed in a hand painted Asian style vase.

The walls in the living room were decorated with various framed artwork, some were photos in artistic black and white, while others were sketches or paintings. As Kurt studied each one, he quickly began to notice a common trend among them: clothes. Every frame held a captured image of fashion. Kurt stood before the largest one in the room; a painting done in a classical style, and yet the clothes were far more contemporary. The figure's dark skin made her silver blue dress stand out even more. She looked so real that Kurt wondered if the painting was based off a real person or was yet another vision from the beautiful mind of Sebastian Smythe. The only thing he was pretty sure of was that Sebastian hadn't painted it. But he checked for the artist's signature just to be sure and was relieved to see his assumptions were correct (unless Lyla Albright was a pseudonym of his).

Once Kurt had gone around the entire living room, he deemed the space explored. That only left the bedroom, which Kurt had purposely saved for last, and not because it was where all the magic happened. Last night Kurt had been too worn out to take notice of what was in the room and it was the same for this morning. But now that his body was thoroughly rested and his stomach contently full, he was ready to have a good look around.

The most noticeable object in the room was Sebastian's king size four poster bed (seriously, what nineteen-year-old boy had one of those?). Royal blue brocade fabric was tied back at each of the posts, leaving the colour-coordinating bedding in full view. The untidy state of the bed sure looked out of place, so Kurt snapped into action to make short work of that. The dark blue sheets felt soft and silky in his hands as he moved them back into place (they had to be at least 1000 thread count he bet). After Kurt smoothed out any visible wrinkles, he pulled the second sheet over top and then finally the top comforter.

Kurt stood back to admire his handiwork and smiled; such high comfort had sure helped lull him to sleep yesterday night. Though in all honesty, Kurt had been so tired he probably would have fallen asleep on the floor. Luckily for him, Sebastian was used to the finer things in life and Kurt was starting to see their appeal. Now that the bed was back in order, Kurt turned his sights to the rest of the room, and something quickly caught his eye.

Hung on the wall to the left of the bed was an expensive looking frame that held what looked like a pinned butterfly. Kurt frowned in confusion; Sebastian wouldn't condone the practice of killing a living thing-not even an insect-for the sake of art. But on closer inspection, Kurt realized that the butterfly was made of fabric. Now this was Sebastian Smythe's style for sure. Four other frames holding similar fabric butterflies were hung around the room as well.

_'I think I've just uncovered who painted all those butterflies outside of the studio,'_ Kurt thought, smiling to himself in amusement. He could just picture Sebastian standing with paintbrush in hand, ready to transform the blank walls in front of him into something truly beautiful._ 'He probably made the butterfly frames himself too.'_ It would explain how the whole colour scheme of the room seemed to be taken from them.

Looking past the art on the walls, Kurt turned his attention to the beautifully crafted writing desk in the far right hand corner of the room. He felt the smooth surface of the wood with his hand, smiling at the intricate pattern carved into the edges. Various pencils, pens and other supplies were neatly grouped together. Sebastian probably spent hours sitting here as he drew sketch after sketch.

There were so many little personal touches about the room; the dress form with a half-complete shirt draped on it, the large cork poster board full of designs both new and old, and the stained glass lamp on the nightstand. Kurt loved it all, and he was surprised that any evidence of Sebastian's amorous activities were skillfully hidden. Though just to confirm their existence, Kurt opened the drawer to Sebastian's nightstand and found condoms and lube inside. Which was fine of course, and good to see since it mean Sebastian was responsible enough practice safe sex (as Kurt assumed he would be).

Kurt could see himself feeling quite at home in such an apartment, but he knew better than think it could be that easy. Both he and Sebastian were very independent people who weren't used to living with someone, whether they were in a romantic relationship with or not. But at least Kurt had a place to stay until he found a more permanent solution to his living arrangements.

The best part-or one of them- about staying with Sebastian was that his wardrobe had pretty much quadrupled. Which reminded Kurt that he still had to explore Sebastian's closet, so he quickly turned his sights to the appropriate door (the other remaining one led to the bathroom) and opened it.

Kurt's jaw dropped the moment he stepped inside. "This place is huge!" he blurted out.

It had to be almost as large as his own bedroom! Wall to wall clothing filled the space, four wooden dressers (like those in high end clothing stores) displayed every sort of fashion accessory imaginable. There were more ties than Kurt could begin to count (standard and bow tie), as well as cufflinks, socks, belts and belt buckles. Not only that, but on top of the dressers were head mannequins with hats placed on top of them. Kurt wondered if Sebastian would be able to wear everything in this room in his lifetime-or at least before they went out of style. It seemed questionable to him, unless Sebastian made three or four wardrobe changes per day (Kurt wouldn't put it past him).

As Kurt turned his attention to the array of clothing, he quickly noticed that everything was completely organized. One wall seemed to be dedicated solely to formal wear; dress shirts were first, then came the pants, next were the waistcoats, and after that the jackets. Kurt noticed Sebastian had not bothered to separate things he had bought from those he had made. And aside from the lack of a label, it was impossible for Kurt to even to tell the difference.

The same could not be said for the wall across from this one, which was full of dresses, skirts, and shirts that most men wouldn't dream of wearing-or own for that matter. There was no concern that Kurt had just discovered his boyfriend's was a closeted cross dresser. Though it hardly mattered to Kurt if Sebastian had tried anything on for the record. He didn't need to check for labels to know Sebastian had made all of them himself.

_ 'But I digress,'_ Kurt told himself before getting back on track.

The remaining two sides of the wall held Sebastian's casual, leisure and sleepwear. There was so much for Kurt to go through that he spent the better part of his afternoon in Sebastian's closet. He'd even tried on a few of his favourite pieces and made a mental note to wear them as soon as possible. The only thing that tore him away was when he realized he needed to head to the studio or risk being late. Kurt slipped into the khaki suede boat shoes Sebastian had left out for him and grabbed the keys on his way out.

Sebastian's apartment was only a few blocks from the studio, so Kurt managed to walk the short trip and still be the first one there. The empty studio felt very odd to Kurt as he stepped inside; he was used to seeing it so full of life. Kurt decided to make some tea, since he doubted Unique would mind. As the tea leaves were seeping, Kurt's curiosity brought him over to the newly completed dress shirt of the show piece outfit. The waistcoat would be up next to work on and Sebastian had already warned him there would be a lot of fittings today to get the sizing just right.

Kurt heard the door open and he turned just in time to see Sugar rush towards him with Unique walking behind her at a more casual pace.

"Angel!" Sugar cried out.

This time Kurt left himself fully open as Sugar embraced him and he went so far as to hug his arms around her shoulders. "Sorry for worrying you so much."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Sugar asked.

"Physically? Yes. Emotionally? Not by a long shot, but I will be, hopefully sooner than later," Kurt admitted to her.

Puck and Sebastian were the next to arrive and when Sebastian saw the tender display of affection going on he just shook his head. "While I find your concern about Kurt's well being touching Sugar, you already have your own boyfriend to coddle right over there," Sebastian remarked with just a hint of snark in his voice.

"I don't need anyone making such a big fuss over me either," Kurt interjected.

"We grabbed some food on the way here, thought you might be hungry, Kurt," Sebastian said.

"Sebastian has some lame idea that we should go eat outside and have some girly picnic," Puck muttered.

"A picnic outside actually sounds good about now, and I can talk while we eat and fill everyone up to date with the predicament I'm currently in," admitted Kurt, who saw Sebastian wink at him playfully in response.

The five teens so found themselves sitting in the shade beneath a group a trees in a nearby park. Sebastian informed the group that he knew all of the good spots for outside dining. Kurt spent a moment eating before he retold the showdown with his mother and how it had led him to move out. Their picnic spot was secluded enough that Kurt was confident no one around them could overhear the discussion (not that really mattered, but still). Kurt had just gotten to the part where he'd told his mom he was gay before shutting the door in her face when Puck whistled loudly in response.

"That was totally kick ass, Kurt," Puck said.

"Thanks..." Kurt sighed. "I can't help but feel guilty about it though..."

"Which I keep telling you is fucking stupid; she brought it on herself," Sebastian said as he shook his head in disappointment.

"That still doesn't mean I should have thrown it in her face like that," Kurt argued.

"She doesn't deserve your compassion, Kurt," Sebastian placed a hand on Kurt's shoulder. "Or your pity."

"Maybe so, but I'm going to pay for letting my emotions get the better of me." If Kurt had just gone without saying anything, then he would have left knowing that he had been the bigger person. But no, he had to go and out himself to her in an act of spite. On some level Kurt was slightly proud of doing it, but not so much that he felt no remorse.

"Only if you let her," Sebastian said.

"So I'm supposed to feel proud of what I did?" Kurt challenged, not willing to back down.

"Yes, you might have used your sexual orientation as a weapon..."

"Dude, that sounds like he tried to do it with his mom!" Puck pointed out, his face scrunched up in horror at the thought.

Sebastian rolled his eyes at Puck's outburst. "Bad choice of words; it happens."

Kurt causally shifted his shoulder away from Sebastian's hand; why did Sebastian always need to be right about _everything_. "It's my life, Sebastian." Hopefully that verbal warning, along with his narrowed eyes, would make Sebastian drop the issue finally.

Sebastian shrugged at him. "Yes it is, but I still agree with Puck when he said it was kick ass. I wish I had been there to see it all unfold, Kurt. Getting to see you coolly announce you were gay like it was no big deal..." A dreamy smile glazed over Sebastian's face, only his expression didn't remain innocent for long.

Puck shuddered. "Stop that!"

"Why?" Sebastian asked, innocently blinking his eyes.

"Because it's fucking creepy!"

"I can't help it that I find Kurt so hot." Sebastian let out a dramatic sigh. " It's a problem at times."

Kurt pretended to ignore Puck and Sebastian bickering as he finished off the remainder of his meal, though still secretly listening in. He was glad for the pull of focus, because Kurt really hadn't wanted to keep arguing with Sebastian. "I just wish I knew what I should do about my living situation now that I'm without a home to live in."

"I thought we already agreed that you could keep staying with me?" Sebastian asked.

"And when did that happen? Because I don't remember us having such a discussion."

Sebastian grinned sheepishly at Kurt, acting as if he had just realized his error and felt embarrassed about it. Kurt wasn't buying his act for a second, but he was willing to pretend otherwise, because again, he didn't have the energy to battle it out. "I guess I just assumed you would want to."

"I do want to Sebastian, you know I do," Kurt said softly, wishing they were alone so he could tell him what he was really feeling. How he was afraid that if he depended too much on Sebastian, he would become a burden. They were too early into their relationship to be living together. Especially since he and Sebastian weren't even having sex yet. Kurt wasn't sure if he could control his physical yearning for Sebastian if they were in constant close proximity. "It's just... not an ideal scenario for us right now..."

"I know you value your privacy as much as I do, but I need you to know that you're always welcome to stay with me," Sebastian insisted.

Kurt smiled lovingly at Sebastian; relieved that he wasn't pushing the issue too far. "Thank you," Kurt whispered, kissing him on the cheek. "You have no idea what that means to me."

"Feel free to tell me later when we're alone," Sebastian flirted back.

"I'd be only too happy to," Kurt replied, fluttering his eyes.

"You can stay at my house if you want, Angel. I bet my dad won't mind and we've got four spare rooms for you to choose from," Sugar said.

"What's sweet of you to offer but, I think I would get lost in such a big house, and I'm afraid I'd become so pampered that I'd never want to leave." Kurt was using humour to avoid having to give more solid reasons for not accepting. Even if the two excuses he'd just said were true as well. But the last thing Kurt needed was to surround himself in such luxury right now.

"I'd have you stay with me but my apartment's a one bedroom, so I don't really have the space," Unique confessed.

"Crash at my place then," Puck said before Kurt could offer any sort of thanks to Unique.

Unique narrowed her eyes at Puck suspiciously and she wasn't alone; Sebastian and Kurt were doing the same thing. "Your place is even smaller than mine!"

"I got a couch still, but if Kurt would prefer to be alone I guess I could always just make the big sacrifice of living at Sugar's for a while..." Puck said nonchalantly, though he was fooling no one with his badly performed act of innocence.

"I should have known!" Sugar laughed, nudging him in the side with her elbow. "My dad's going to be out of town for the next month-that's why I know it would be okay for Kurt to stay with us; Puck's been hinting that he wants us to use that to our advantage. I think it's a good idea Kurt, so you should stay at Noah's. His place is close enough to the studio, you'd have your own place -figuratively speaking-and thanks to me, his apartment is actually really nice. Best of all, you won't feel like you're imposing too much on any of us; you'd actually be doing Puck a big favour."

"Not to mention it would greatly lessen the risk of walking in on Sugar and Puck going at it. Trust me Kurt, you do not want to see that," Sebastian joked, although his subsequent shiver was quite convincing.

Not even Kurt could see a reason why he shouldn't say yes, and he wasn't about to. "You don't mind if I do that instead of staying with you?" Kurt asked Sebastian, fearing his answer (if he would even give an honest one).

Sure enough, Sebastian's first instinct was to shrug the matter off but then he said, "As long as I can come and visit you lots, then I'll live. But just for the record, my offer still stands if you suddenly change your mind."

Kurt knew that staying at Puck's would only be a temporary fix, but just the fact that he had friends to rely on meant the world to him. "I guess it's all decided then," Kurt said.

"Awesome. So when can you move in?" Puck asked with a little too much enthusiasm; so much that his giddy smile was almost off-putting.

But the only answer Puck got was his friends all bursting out into fits of laughter at the same time.

Up until this point, Kurt really hadn't paused to think what Noah Puckerman's bachelor pad might look like. Even with Sugar's assurances that the apartment was more than liveable, a runaway like Kurt knew he shouldn't be too choosy. It still amazed Kurt that he was going to be staying in Puck's apartment to begin with; they hadn't really talked and never when it was only the two of them. Kurt considered him a friend still of course, especially after he'd offered his home to him, but he realized he could put more effort into getting to know him. Kurt's first chance to do just that came when he was taken to his new home by none other than Puck, who quickly showed him inside. While on the small side, the apartment wasn't nearly as cramped as Kurt had originally pictured. Thanks to some practically placed storage units that also functioned as furniture, Puck had quite a good setup going on. There was also no mess to be found, save for a couple of dirty dishes in the sink.

Kurt noticed Puck's music equipment around the living room; wondering how Puck could practice without annoying the neighbours in the process.

"I gotta say Puck, I don't think I'll have any trouble settling in here," Kurt said.

"Yeah well, this place wouldn't look this great if it weren't for Sugar. I learned pretty quick I'd have to keep the place clean if I expected her to come over," Puck explained.

"It's amazing what you can accomplish in a relationship if you withhold sex," Sebastian stated as he walked through the door with Kurt's luggage in tow.

"Keep your snarky remarks to yourself Sebastian; Puck's letting me crash here for free," Kurt reminded his boyfriend.

"Yeah Sebby, it's not my fault if your cold exterior is keeping Kurt from shacking up with you," taunted Puck, who wisely kept his voice low enough so only Sebastian could hear.

"It's not like I need him to live with me, Noah, and he still might in the end," Sebastian said.

Once Kurt had familiarized himself enough with his new (but still temporary) living arrangements, Puck quickly gathered up his own things to take to Sugar's. Judging by the mischievous grin on his face, Puck had quite the fun evening planned.

"So that's it basically, I know it's not much to look at, but-" Puck began.

"It's fine, thank you," Kurt interrupted.

"I've left some condoms, and there's even lube, you know, just in case..." If Puck had intended to turn the comment into some sort of mocking joke, he quickly changed his tune once he saw Sebastian devious smirk."Not that I want you two to do it on my bed! You can go to Sebastian's place for that!"

Sebastian shook his head in disapproval. "And you call yourself a good host? Why shouldn't Kurt be allowed to fully enjoy his stay at 'Chez Puck's'." Puck just gave him the finger and Sebastian seemed too bored to keep taunting him any further.

"Meanwhile I've brought some clothes for you to wear Kurt, since nothing in Puck's pathetic excuse for a wardrobe would suit you," Sebastian said, pointing to the additional suitcase he had brought along.

"I'm gonna go now, before Sebastian starts his usual sexual harassment games with me. If you have any questions just ask Sugar; she knows this place better than I do," Puck explained as he made a break for the door. "And make sure to kick Sebastian's sorry ass to the curb if he gets on your nerve!" he called once he was safely out of sight.

Sebastian rolled his eyes before turning his attention to Kurt, who was still chuckling from Puck's remark. "I have half a mind for us to have our way with each other just to spite him."

"Speaking from someone who has recently had an experience with acting out in spite, things rarely go the way you want them to," Kurt said with a playful smile.

"Oh well, some other time then, when we're both ready for it." Sebastian accepted Kurt's hug of gratitude. "In the meantime..." He didn't bother to finish whatever he was alluding to and used his lips instead.

Soon Kurt found himself under attack as Sebastian started aggressively kissing his neck and while he was more than on board with that idea, there was one last thing he needed to do before hand. "Hold that thought, I just wanna say thanks to Puck."

Sebastian sighed as he relented, but not without showing his displeasure by pouting at him. "Fine, but be quick about it. The clock's ticking and my time is precious, Kurt."

Kurt hurried off in search of Puck before his boyfriend's patience could wear out, and he managed to catch him outside just as he was shoving the rest of his stuff into the trunk of his old car. "Hey Puck, hold on a sec!"Kurt called to him.

"Oh, come on! I've got a hot girlfriend waiting for me," Puck grumbled with protest.

"I just wanted to tell you thank you again," Kurt said as he flew down the metal stairs. "Sugar's right; you are a nice guy. I'm sorry I misjudged you and I need to you know things are going to change from here on in," Kurt explained.

"It's no big deal. You need to calm down and stop freaking out about every single thing. I dunno how Sebastian managed to figure you out so quickly," Puck said.

"Don't ask me."

Puck just chuckled along with Kurt and while he seemed to be bent on leaving, he turned around to face Kurt once more. "I may not look like it, but I'm a pretty grounded guy. I guess that happens after growing up with next to nothing. I think it's a good idea that you didn't move in with Sebastian; he's the the sort of guy who can't make himself happy, let alone anyone else."

Kurt didn't really get Puck's joke, but he still chuckled in reply. "It sure seems that way, huh?"

"I'm dead serious Kurt, don't be so eager to get closer to him."

Kurt could only stare back at Puck in confusion, too surprised to ask him what he meant exactly. Puck, who probably took his silence as a sign that he could leave, got into his car and drove off without so much as another word.

"Telling me to stay away isn't going to do me any good, Puck," Kurt grumbled as he climbed back up the stairs.

Kurt didn't need to hear such warnings from Puck to know the risk he were taking by being in a relationship. Kurt was no romance master either, who knew what hell he and Sebastian might put each other through. But no matter what might or might not happen, Kurt refused to believe that falling in love with such a remarkable man could turn into nothing but a big mistake.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

For the first time in his life, Kurt was living on his own. It didn't even matter if he had only achieved this thanks to the charity of his friends; he wasn't about to deny himself the pleasure of enjoying his new-found freedom. Sebastian had left a little over an hour ago after they'd spent an enjoyable hour together making out. Kurt lips were left feeling slightly raw, but it had been well worth it.

As much as they had both agreed it had been time for Sebastian to go, Kurt missed him dearly. Maybe he should have just stayed with Sebastian. Solitude was overrated, and just being free of his overbearing mother was a victory on its own. But no matter how much Kurt wanted to stay with his boyfriend, he knew it wasn't a good idea. Kurt needed some time to reflect on what had happened-and to sort his life out.

Kurt was no stranger to feeling completely alone either; back at home Kurt had constantly shut himself off from the rest of the world. The difference now was that Kurt had nothing he needed to do and there was no one bossing him around. Should he kick back and see what television had to offer? Or maybe go out for a late night stroll? Neither option felt very tempting, so he just got up to use the bathroom. There he found a pink bottle of bubble bath sitting on the rim of Puck's tub and he suddenly knew what he wanted to do next.

He picked the item up and smiled. Strawberry scented? This had to be Sugar's. Because no matter how much he may have misjudged Puck, the idea of him soaking in a sea of pink bubbles seemed unlikely. Not unless there was a naked Sugar in the tub with him, but Kurt quickly shook his head to get rid of that mental image.

A night full of pampering sounded pretty good at this point, so Kurt turned on the water and poured a generous amount of Sugar's bubble bath into the tub. He'd probably smell like a fruit truck after this but he didn't care and who knew, maybe Sebastian would make some lewd comment about him smelling delicious tomorrow.

As Kurt soaked himself in the warm pleasure of his strawberry scented bath, he made his mind go blank so he could fully unwind. The long bath ended up doing wonders for his frazzled nerves and when he finally got out of the tub, he felt so blissfully lethargic that all he could do was put on a pair of pyjamas and fall onto Puck's bed. The sheets and bread spread had been freshly laundered and Kurt took in a deep breath, smelling the pleasing scent.

"Now this, is the life," Kurt said on exhale. No boyfriend to please, no meddlesome parents to make proud, just pure and uninterrupted relaxation. Kurt could get used to this; except he had no intention to hide away in Puck's apartment forever. Alone time may be healthy for a couple, but no amount of comfort could fill the gaping hole Sebastian's absence had left.

Kurt was rudely awoken the next morning when the doorbell rang, and kept on ringing, over and over until it was possible for him to ignore. So much for for being the boss. Kurt got out of bed and grumbled his way over to the front door. He expected to see Sebastian's smirking face when he opened it but instead he was nearly bowled over by Sugar's hug of greeting. Kurt rocked back on his heels and barely stopped them both from toppling over.

"What are you doing here at such an ungodly hour, Sugar?" It had only been two days but Kurt was enjoying sleeping in too much to have it suddenly taken from him.

Sugar rolled her eyes but released Kurt. "It's seven-thirty, Angel." Kurt's only reaction was to scowl her in annoyance. "Okay I see your point, but you can't blame me for wanting to see how you're settling in."

Kurt yawned and tried to walk back into the bedroom without stumbling. Sugar followed him, which Kurt had expected, but he didn't mind because his moment of grumpy annoyance had passed. There would be other days to enjoy sleeping in, and if there weren't then it was no great loss. Kurt didn't intend to sleep his days away. Not by a long shot, and not when he finally had a reason to get up in the morning.

"Where's Puck?"

Sugar turned around to lean her back against Puck's dresser and grinned; Kurt had never seen her look so smug before. "Still asleep I imagine; I worn him out pretty good last night."

"Lucky guy."

"And what about you Kurt? Did you get any sleep or did Sebastian keep you up for most of the night too and he's hiding in the apartment somewhere still?"

"Sebastian eventually left, so I was on my own sadly, though we used the time we had pretty damn well I gotta say." Kurt didn't go onto clarify that no actual sex act had happened, but thanks to the fact that he'd told Sugar and Unique about his and Sebastian's decision to wait on that front, he didn't need to.

"Are you hungry? I brought some bagels along; I thought we could have breakfast together," Sugar explained.

"Sure, but do you have the time for that?"

"Oodles; I got up extra early for that reason and Puck's apartment is close to school as well."

"Then I'd love to have breakfast with you Sugar. As soon as I change into something a little less frumpy looking." In his tired state after Sebastian had gone yesterday night Kurt had thrown something on without paying much attention. He was wearing a simple black t-shirt and grey sweat pants and he wasn't enjoying the end results. He looked too much like his old boring self.

"I'll go get our breakfast ready." Sugar pushed herself away from the dresser, stopping when she passed by Kurt on her way out. "Don't be too hard on yourself Angel, the art of fashion is no easy undertaking," she said, enunciating her words exactly as Sebastian would have and her impression was pretty dead on.

Kurt chuckled at Sugar's antics and he was still laughing to himself as he considered what he should wear for the day. Almost all of the clothes he'd brought along were new purchases, but there had been a few older pieces (like the ones he were wearing now) that he couldn't part with. These clothes were well worn and and comfortable and what was the harm in holding onto a couple faded t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants for sleeping?

Since there wasn't much time before Sugar would have to leave for class Kurt put on a pair of slim fit jeans and a black polo shirt. He could always change once she was gone and Kurt was dying to go through and then put away his inventory of clothes.

Now better dressed for company, Kurt hurried out of the bedroom and took a seat at Puck's small kitchen table. Sugar already had his bagel toasted to perfection and Kurt hungrily smeared a generous amount of cream cheese on the bagel.

"Say Sugar, something's been bugging me and I could really use a second opinion." Kurt saw Sugar nod at her as she continued chewing her bagel. "It's about Sebastian, do you think he's relieved or disappointed that I didn't just keep staying with him?"

Sugar almost ended up choking on her food at the directness of the question. She quickly took a long drink of her coffee before flashing Kurt a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry Angel, but I honestly have no clue what Sebby's thinking most of the time. He's such an enigma; whenever he's not purposely being direct it's hard to even guess what's going on in that mind of his."

"It's okay, it was a stupid question to ask," Kurt said dismissively. Did Sebastian have to be so god damn hard to read all of the time?

"I know that he loves you Angel, and he did open his home to you without question."

Kurt nodded absentmindedly as he munched on his bagel. It was true, Sebastian had no trouble proclaiming his love for Kurt. Sometimes his words of sentiment felt slightly automatic but not when they were alone. When there was no one around for Sebastian to perform for, his words felt far more genuine. That was the answer wasn't it? If Kurt wanted to know what Sebastian really thought about him staying at Puck's then he would have to ask him directly.

"But enough about Sebastian for now Angel; I wanna know how you're doing. Are you settling in here okay?" Sugar asked.

"Yes." Kurt was happy to be able to give a simple yes/no answer for once. "I'm pleased to say that I'm settling in nicely. You've really managed to class up the place here, Sugar."

"It wasn't just me; Noah keeps the place clean. I just helped him decorate when he moved in here." Sugar popped the last of her bagel into her mouth. "He's not as much of a slob as you would think, Angel."

Kurt had to agree; he hadn't found a single crumb or any sort of mess since he'd arrived yesterday. Though there was no proof that had been Puck's doing and not Sugar's, but he had no reason not to believe her claims. Puck was a lot like Sebastian in that way; both men were inclined to show-off when they had an audience, even if it was just their friends.

He finished his multigrain bagel and eyed the oatmeal bran muffin remaining on his plate. Kurt wondered if Sebastian was enforcing any dietary restrictions on him. It felt like something Sebastian would do and he made a mental note to inform him that there was really no need. Kurt had a high metabolism and never had to worry about watching what he ate.

"Has your mother called you at all?" Sugar asked all of a sudden.

"Not even once, she did text me though, in her typical passive-aggressive way." Kurt hated to think what they would have said to one another if they'd actually spoken. Margaret hadn't bothered contacting her son again after his less than civil reply message.

"Oh." For some reason Sugar began to squirm in her seat at the table, nervously tapping the edge of her now empty mug. "Um, I swear I'm not trying to butt into your life Angel, but I called-"

"Did you call my mom?" Kurt interrupted; alarmed by the very idea.

"Oh my god, no, Angel! I'd never do something stupid like that. I'm totally on your side!" blurted Sugar, whose shocked expression in response matched Kurt's own extreme reaction.

Kurt quickly realized his error in thinking that Sugar would do something so rash without asking him first. "I'm sorry, of course you wouldn't."

"The person I called was my auntie Isabelle, the one who's a designer. She came by my house yesterday to check up on me while my dad's away. I mentioned you to her and how you're being our model for the show. Before you ask, I didn't tell her anything that happened with your mom. I just explained how you've recently moved out and are trying to figure things out now. She's pretty down to earth and knows how hard it is to break out on your own. After I showed her a photo of you she said she wanted to meet you, Angel," Sugar explained.

"For what reason?" Kurt asked, eyeing her. He didn't mean to sound so suspicious, he just couldn't understand why she would want to meet him all of a sudden.

"For a job opportunity; there's an opening for a salesperson at the new shop she just opened in the Loop." Sugar grinned at him enticingly. "Would you be interested in something like that?"

Even Kurt, who had never had a paying job, knew how important having the right connections were, and he wasn't about to turn such a chance down. "Yes. Yes I would. You're such a sweetheart for setting up this opportunity for me." Even though Kurt was excited about his new job prospect, he couldn't help but doubt his ability to be good enough. What would the job entail? Cashier work probably, and maybe cleaning up stock and helping customers. That didn't sound _too_ hard. But did he even have the right people skills needed for retail?

"But I have no references, or a resume for that matter. Don't you need experience for stuff like this?" Kurt asked apprehensively. "I'm hardly what you would call qualified…"

Sugar held up her hand. "I'm gonna stop you right there Angel; you're clever and I know you'll catch on quick. Heck, if you can deal with someone like Sebastian then you already have the right integrity needed to work in a clothing shop."

"I guess."

"But you'll need to act quick; they've been getting applicants for the job already. If you want your shot then you'll have to go down for an interview with Isabelle today. I know this is pretty sudden, but you're not going to get a better chance at a job than this, Angel. The timing's perfect too! I already set your appointment up. I hope you don't mind me jumping the gun here…" Sugar began to text Kurt the details and sent the message to his phone. "Just show up at that time and place later today and you'll do fine."

Kurt's mind was a whirlwind; everything was happening so fast. There was so much doubt in him to conquer. He brought up the text and went over the information; Isabelle Wright's brand name was called 'Bellalise Designs' and her new store front was in the apparel sector of the Loop. It wasn't too far from Puck's apartment and Kurt knew the transit system well enough that he would have no trouble getting there on his own. But none of these facts made it any easier for Kurt to gain the courage to just hop on board.

"I dunno Sugar, this is a lot to wrap my head around with so little warning."

"What are you so afraid of, Angel? And what have you got to lose?"

Kurt knew the answer to both questions was nothing, so he let out a deep sigh. "You're right; I'll do it."

"Great!" Sugar cheered with excitement, throwing her hands into the air. "That's the spirit, Angel! I'll just send my auntie a quick text to confirm that you're coming." It was amazing how fast Sugar's thumbs could type words on her phone. "There we go, I'll let you know when she replies to me, which shouldn't be too long because she really wants to meet you, Angel."

"Thanks for doing this," Kurt said.

Sugar waved his need to show gratitude aside and just grinned at him. "I'm happy to do it." She glanced at her watch and frowned. "Darn, I should head off to my first class or I'll end up being late."

When Sugar made a grab for her purse Kurt shot up from his seat. "Wait!" he cried out. The worried expression she gave him made Kurt blush. "Sorry."

Sugar still came over to give him a consoling hug. "It's going to be okay Angel, you give a killer first impression. Just ask Sebastian if you don't believe me."

"No, that's not it, it's just… what in the world should I wear to the interview?" Kurt asked in desperation. Whatever strides Kurt had made when it came to his wardrobe, there was more than his own personal sense of style on the line. Sebastian had only begun bestowing his wisdom upon him, and he still had so much to learn.

"You're right; what was I thinking. Not even a perfect bod like yours can compensate for your fledgeling sense of fashion," Sugar agreed.

"What should I do? I'm in way over my head here."

Sugar smiled playfully at Kurt. "Isn't it obvious? Give your boyfriend a call and ask for his help. You know how much he loves showing off his superiority."

"Of course!" Kurt smacked his forehead with his hand. "I can't believe I didn't think of that first!" His interview wasn't for another three hours; he just hoped that would be enough time. "Thanks, Sugar," he said, hugging her in gratitude.

"Anytime Angel, and good luck. I wish I could be here to see it all unfold but I'd only get in the way." Sugar gave Kurt a quick salute and then darted out of the door and let it close behind her.

That just left for Kurt to call Sebastian in his moment of need. Kurt wasn't against the idea of asking for help, it was just that their relationship was beginning to feel unbalanced. Kurt had done so little for Sebastian since they had gotten together, and Sebastian wasn't even getting sex out of it. Maybe it was time to even the score a bit; there was still a lot Kurt could do without getting into things he wasn't ready for yet.

Kurt let out a heavy sigh. Before he could contemplate what rewards he could offer Sebastian he first needed to contact his boyfriend to see if he could come to his aid. Kurt was pretty certain he would. _'Which will only make me feel even more indebted to him.'_

"Oh, I don't have time for this!" Kurt muttered to himself, annoyed at how he'd lost track of what really mattered.

He needed to look at the bright side of things; he was lucky to have a friend who cared enough to set up the interview, and a boyfriend who would ensure he was dressed to the nines for it. If Kurt were lucky he would catch Sebastian just before his first class started. On the off chance that Kurt had missed him, he would try to figure things out on his own-or at least until Sebastian sent a reply.

Sebastian had been making his way to textiles when he got a phone call. A quick check showed it was Kurt, and any plans to ignore the message were suddenly tossed aside.

"Hey babe, to what do I owe the pleasure? Is something afoot or do you simply miss hearing the alluring sound of my voice?" Sebastian had sure missed using the more lyrical side of his vocabulary; everyone else he'd tried it on just rolled their eyes at him or told him to stuff it. Those poor undignified ruffians-oh well-it was their loss.

"_Always_, but I'm afraid this is more than a pleasure call, Sebastian. I need your help."

"How can I be of service to you then?"

"You're not gonna believe this, but Sugar's set up an interview with her Aunt Isabelle for a salesperson job at her new store. She stopped by to tell me and left a few minutes ago! So now I could really use your fashion expertise to figure out what the hell I should wear to the interview. I'm seriously at a loss, mainly because I don't have any appropriate for an interview wear here at Puck's! But even if I did, I still wouldn't have a clue what choose," Kurt sputtered off, barely leaving any space in between his words.

The unease in Kurt's frantic voice was easy to pick up on, so much that Sebastian knew better than to make any sort of playful comment. "When's the interview?"

"It's at one-thirty, are you able to meet up with me any time before that?"

"As luck would have it Kurt, I am; my class before lunch is a free period, so that should be more than enough time to turn you into hiring material. I'm familiar enough with Isabelle's style senses to give you an extra edge as well. Leave it to me babe; meet me at my apartment in an hour and I'll work my magic on you," Sebastian assured.

"I knew I could rely on you, Sebastian," Kurt said, sighing with audible relief.

"You did? I think this is the first time someone's ever said that to me who wasn't being sarcastic."

"_Sebastian_."

Uh-oh. Sebastian knew that particular tone with Kurt all too well; it was his no nonsense voice and as tempting as it was to push his buttons, Sebastian decided against it. He wondered if he should throw a few flattering comments Kurt's way just to make sure he wasn't actually annoyed with him. It was hard for Sebastian to be sure when he had no visual clues to help him.

"Can you find your way to my place or should I come fetch you?" Sebastian joked instead, just to play it safe.

"I'll be fine, and you're already doing enough as it is," Kurt replied, taking the comment seriously.

So much for spending his free period working on the showpiece outfit then, oh well, they were far enough ahead that he could do this for Kurt. He found it almost a shame that he didn't have to skip class to come to Kurt's rescue though; that could have earned him some real brownie points.

Sebastian told Kurt a quick goodbye as he hurried off to his first class, barely slipping into the room before the professor. As Sebastian claimed his usual seat, he began to think what clothing out of his closet would work best for Kurt's interview. Kurt already had an in with him being a friend of the family, but that still didn't mean it was a closed deal. Kurt had no experience whatsoever to help his chances, and it would take more than simply dressing for the part to set himself apart from the other applicants.

All the motivation Sebastian needed was the hope that if Kurt could pay his way in the world he wouldn't feel so lost. Sebastian still hoped to get something out of it himself though, because not even falling in love could change him that much. He could however, rise above his primeval urges to see to something other than his own physical needs.

Sebastian headed off the parking lot once his free period started and to his surprise, when he arrived at his apartment, he found Kurt sitting on the floor with his back against Sebastian's front door._ 'I should really give him a key to my place,'_ he thought and made a mental note to do so later that night.

Kurt eyes were fixed on the screen of his phone; he looked so casual and unconcerned about not hiding the nature of their relationship.

"Aren't we being pretentious; showing up at my door like this," Sebastian playfully called to Kurt.

"Except this isn't a booty call, Sebastian," Kurt pointed out, fluttering his eyelashes innocently at him.

"What is going on then?" Sebastian stopped a foot in front of Kurt flashed him one of his quite-essential cocky grins.

Kurt stood up and aside so Sebastian could unlock the door. "A fashion crisis, _naturally_."

"Damn," Sebastian swore under his breath, but loud enough for Kurt to hear still. "Could be worse I guess." With that he shrugged with mock indifference and strolled into his apartment, hearing Kurt's quiet laughter as his boyfriend followed him inside. Good. If Kurt were in this good of a mood then things could get interesting (and fun).

As soon as they were safely inside the privacy of the bedroom, Sebastian ordered Kurt to strip down to his skivvies without making a single lewd comment. Kurt didn't even bat an eye at the request, taking off his clothes with precision. His movements weren't very sexy to look at, but that was a good thing. Sebastian might become too distracted to be of any use to Kurt (when it came to fashion anyway).

But since Kurt wasn't doing anything to provoke him, Sebastian was able to keep his focus on the clothes before him and not his mostly naked boyfriend. It figured that the first time Kurt was in his room with his clothes off would be for work purposes. _'Irony can be such a bitch.'_

"Do you have any ideas so far?" Kurt tentatively asked from behind him.

"Plenty, that's the whole problem."

Kurt might have had full faith Sebastian's ability to make Kurt look good, but would it hurt for him to work at a faster pace. At this rate, by the time Kurt was dressed there wouldn't be an interview for him to show up to anymore. He forced himself to patiently wait for Sebastian to find something suitable as he combed through his business wear. But a whole fifteen minutes passed and Sebastian had nothing to show for it.

"Any day now," Kurt muttered as he drummed his fingers against his crossed arms.

"Patience is a virtue Kurt, you should try working on that instead of pestering me."

Trust Sebastian to turn every situation into something about himself, and if Kurt weren't in such a appreciative mood right now, he would have given him an earful. Instead he just rolled his eyes and said, "The next chance I get I will, just not right now."

"Here, this should work nicely for the image we're shooting for." Sebastian chucked a shirt at Kurt and ended up missing his arms by a few inches.

Kurt bent down to pick it up; the shirt was pale green, and was-surprisingly-a solid colour for once. That pretty much ensured it was made by Sebastian and Kurt's assumption was proven correct when he found no design label.

"Make sure you put a new undershirt on first; you can get one from the dresser in my room," Sebastian said just as Kurt was about to slip his right arm into the sleeve of the shirt.

Kurt stopped to peck Sebastian on the lips before exiting the closet, and he got the feeling that Sebastian was ogling his behind as he left. He couldn't blame him if that were the case, and he didn't even bother to sneak a peek to confirm his hunch either. Let him take a nice long look; Sebastian certainly deserved it-and more-but Kurt couldn't think about _that_ right now.

It seemed as if Kurt being out of the room made it easier for Sebastian to snap into action because the designer had picked out a full outfit by the time Kurt returned. Kurt wondered if Sebastian was purposely dressing Kurt in his own creations to show off his talents. Not that Kurt minded; he always thought he looked best in his boyfriend's designs.

He had to hand it to Sebastian this time; Kurt had never looked better and that said something! Once again Sebastian had decided against the classic black suit and gone for a splash of colour. The suit jacket was a striking shade of petrol (a word Kurt had not known until just now; it just looked like dark green to him) and was made from a wool and mohair blend. The fit was so perfect that Kurt wondered if Sebastian had sneakily made the jacket just for him. That certainly seemed like something Sebastian would pull, except the show piece left him no time to work on other projects recently.

Truth be told, Kurt loved how Sebastian's creations felt tailor made for him even when they weren't. It made him feel special, as if it were a sign that he and he alone were destined to wear Sebastian's designs.

Kurt ran his hands down the smooth fabric of the jacket and straightened the lapel collar until there wasn't a single crease visible. The pale green shirt Sebastian had given him earlier went perfectly with the jacket. There was no waistcoat this time, but that didn't diminish the overall effect that the slim-fitting suit gave Kurt. The jacket hugged his frame and brought attention to all of his body's strong points, and the same could be said for the matching trousers. Even when the pants weren't as tight as the skinny jeans Kurt had been persuaded to wear, they still showed off his behind in all of its tight glory.

The only store-bought parts of Kurt's ensemble were the green and gold printed pocket square (by Paul Smith) peeking out from the suit's top pocket, his deep green cashmere socks, and a pair of black suede brogues shoes. In true Sebastian Smythe fashion, the really striking parts of the suit where what people couldn't see; like the emerald green lining of the jacket, or the golden bowtie shaped cufflinks at the sleeves. Sebastian had even taken the time to choose an appropriate black belt for Kurt to wear because, to quote his words, 'it needed to match the shoes.'

Kurt turned around to admire his reflection; if this didn't double his chances at getting the job then nothing would.

"Fuck you're gorgeous, Kurt." Sebastian muttered in awe.

Kurt didn't need to turn around to see the adoration in Sebastian's eyes, it was all in his voice, and he could see Sebastian the mirror's reflection anyway. It didn't matter how many times he heard Sebastian say that, it always brought on the same reaction; it sent his heart racing, cheeks blushing and made his head light and dizzy.

"I feel gorgeous," Kurt said.

"Well you should, I've said it before and I'll say it again; nobody looks as good in my clothes as you, Kurt." Sebastian stepped towards Kurt, placed a hand under his chin, and brought their lips together. He didn't touch Kurt anywhere else at the risk of accidentally wrinkling the suit.

"I think you're ready, Kurt," Sebastian whispered under his breath before kissing Kurt again for encouragement. "Scratch that, I _know_ you're ready."

A less confident Kurt would have replied with something like 'Here's Hoping,' but once again the clothes Kurt were wearing helped call forth his more daring side. Kurt Hummel the model was everything that Kurt Hummel the grade grinder hadn't been. He was the one who could use all in his power to convince Isabelle Wright that he was the best man for the job.

"Thank you for your help, Sebastian," Kurt wished he could do more to show his appreciation, and judging by the come hither look on Sebastian's face he was having similar thoughts. As tempting as it would be to boost his fragile moral with a thrilling makeout session, the suit probably couldn't take the rough handling and there was no time for that in any case. "I feel like I'm on top of the world right now and could conquer anything."

Sebastian threw his head back and let out a throaty laugh, "Now that's the Kurt Hummel I know and love. As soon as you're done we're gonna celebrate tonight!" He brought his ear close to Kurt's and whispered, "_hard_."

Kurt gulped and tried to get his racing heart under control; getting a boner right now wouldn't help his chances. "What if I don't get the job?" This wasn't Kurt being his usual doubtful self though; he just really wanted to hear what Sebastian's answer would be.

"With how hot you look right now, it would be a crime not to," Sebastian announced, winking at Kurt.

While hardly touching, Kurt still loved his boyfriend's reply, especially because what he really thought was all in his shimmering eyes. Kurt could almost hear the words in his head: 'You dared to try and gave it your best, so that's a victory in itself, Kurt,' and because this was Sebastian, he would go on to add, 'and that should really go without saying.' Which explained why Sebastian didn't feel the need _to_ say it-or at least not in spoken words.

Kurt always used to boast (to himself mainly) that 'late' wasn't even in his vocabulary. But that was before Kurt's world had been turned upside down. He didn't know what had happened; one minute Kurt had had time to spare and then the next thing he knew, he was behind schedule and had to book it to the bus stop. He'd missed his scheduled bus and had to wait an agonizing fifteen minutes before the next one came. Thank goodness he'd intended to leave twenty minutes early in the first place, but five minutes late was still late, and Kurt was horror stricken.

He probably could have made it on time if he had run like a madman to Isabelle Wright's office, except he would have sweated through his suit. Being fashionably late by five minutes was the lesser of two evils, or at least that's what Kurt told himself. Now he wasn't so sure. But there was no use crying over spilt milk, so Kurt just went up to the front desk, gave his name, and did his best to remain calm as he was led to another room and asked to take a seat.

The 'waiting room' sported such stylish decor (there was a chandelier!) that it made Kurt feel slightly out of place. Kurt couldn't even say why he felt that way, since he was becoming more used to such scenes since he'd started dating Sebastian. This place was different somehow though; it felt so grown up, so successful, so professional. The white walls displayed various covers of magazines that Bellalise designs had graced, as well as photoshoots with gorgeous models wearing the brand.

Kurt was intently studying one of these shots when he heard a sudden knock at the door. "Yes hello!" he shouted. Wait a second. Why was someone knocking? Wasn't this a waiting room? Should he answer it or remain seated?

"Hello? Could you open the door, please? My hands are kind of tied here," a high pitched voice called through the other side of the door.

"Oh, okay sure," stuttered Kurt as he hurried over the door and opened it.

A short blonde woman holding a tray of refreshments struggled her way inside. "Thank you, I didn't realize how heavy this tray would be."

Kurt watched her slowly make her way over to the table as she attempted to keep her balance. "Here, let me help you there."

"No need, I can manage," she tutted, placing the tray on the table with a cute sigh of relief.

This had to be Isabelle Wright, the head of Bellalise Designs herself; she looked to be in her mid to late thirties at the most. Her wavy blonde hair cascaded off her shoulders and ended just before the small of her back. She had a small build just like her niece Sugar, and the same warm smile. Kurt did his best to grin politely back at her.

"I made us some tea, or would you have preferred coffee instead?" Isabelle continued, unaware of Kurt's gaze.

"Oh no, tea's fine. Thank you very much!" Kurt piped up. He hadn't meant to stare, but her navy and yellow dress looked so lovely (who knew plaid could be so chic!).

Isabelle took a seat at the head of the table and gestured for Kurt to join her for tea. "Please have a seat."

"Thank you... it's quite an honour to sit down to tea with the president..." Kurt began as he sat down in the chair opposite from her.

Isabelle laughed, "You don't need to act so formal with me, Angel." She waved at him, still smiling as she took a drink of her tea. "You're a friend of my niece after all."

"Um, it's Kurt actually; Kurt Hummel. Angel's just a nickname Sugar gave me."

"Oh, really? I thought Angel might be short for Angelo or something. That giving nicknames trait is so Sugar; she still calls me Auntie Izzie-which I love."

Kurt watched Isabelle for a moment, trying his best not to stare at her for too long, but he found her so fascinating. She was the exact type of person Kurt longed to become one day, someone who was doing something she loved and had found real success. Envy bubbled up inside Kurt; he didn't resent her though, if anything she gave Kurt newfound hope. But that hope was quickly doused when Kurt saw her smile falter and changed to something else, something much more… sympathetic?

Isabelle gently put down her tea cup back on the saucer and looked up at Kurt. "The truth is Kurt, the manager of my store called me a few minutes ago to tell me they already hired a new salesperson this afternoon…"

"Wait, what?" Kurt sputtered off; he was just about to take another sip of his tea when she broke the news to him. He put his teacup down to gape at her; why hadn't anyone tried calling his cell to cancel the interview? Or had it literally been minutes and Kurt just had _that_ much bad luck?

"I'm so sorry, Kurt." Isabelle held her hands up in front of her chin and touched her fingertips together. "It was getting close to the wire and we really needed to find someone, so the store manager went and hired the best applicant they'd gotten."

Although Kurt was heartbroken at not even getting a shot at the job, he didn't hold it against Isabelle or her store's manager. His interview had happened so fast and out of the blue that miscommunications like this were understandable; even expected. Kurt had no credentials to help prove he was the better option either.

"Oh well, thanks for…" Kurt wasn't sure what word to use, because _nothing_ wouldn't be very mature of him, even if it was the truth. "...trying," he finally said. He wanted to bolt from the room and forget this whole awkward exchange.

'_No. I'm not gonna let myself run, or just sit here and whine,'_ Kurt told himself. It might be futile but Kurt wasn't about to give up all hope just yet. "Are there any other positions available I could apply for? Like a stock boy or anything along those lines?"

Isabelle shook her head. "No I'm sorry; I don't have the budget to hire more employees right now."

"I'm the one who should be sorry," Kurt said, sighing. "You don't have any obligations to me."

"For what it's worth Kurt, I find your determination very inspiring."

Completely taken aback by the compliment, Kurt's mouth hung open. "Who me?"

"You remind me of myself when I was your age and still trying to figure out my path in life," Isabelle explained.

"But I have no sense of direction; I don't even know where to begin," Kurt muttered, still unable to believe someone could think he was inspirational. Isabelle didn't know anything about him. As soon as she learned the truth, she would take back those words. Only Kurt wasn't about to stick around and tell her his pitiful life story.

Kurt stood to his feet; there was no use wasting his time here any longer. He needed to keep moving forward. "I suppose I should go." He turned to smile weakly at Isabelle. "Thank you for your time."

"Kurt, please don't go yet. I'm not finished. There's another reason why I wanted to meet you aside from the salesperson job." She watched as Kurt eyed her suspiciously before he sat back down. "I know it's sudden, but are you free tomorrow?"

"My itinerary is pretty much open for the unforeseeable future, well, aside from my duties as the model for Paradis Bise."

"You see Kurt, I've recently added a new line of menswear to Bellalise Designs and it's being featured in GQ Magazine for the launch. Which is huge; I've been trying to get my brand recognized out of Chicago for years. But the model for the shoot tomorrow pulled out at the last minute and I've been desperate to find a new one on such short notice." Isabelle smiled brightly at Kurt. "When Sugar showed me your photo yesterday I knew immediately that it had to be you, Kurt."

What was going on? Kurt had come here expecting to apply for a salesperson job, and now he had just been offered a modelling gig? Was this supposed to be some sort of sign? Could modelling become something more than a one time thing for him? Kurt had no idea; everything was happening so fast-_again_! Wasn't that what Kurt had wanted though? To stop living a lie and embrace change?

The first time Kurt had accepted a modeling job had turned his life around for the better, so maybe this second chance would be just as positive. Either way, Kurt wouldn't know unless he said yes, and really, it was a pretty easy decision to make. He'd be a fool not to accept.

"I'll do it," Kurt replied, never sounding so sure of himself before.

Isabelle's face lit up in excitement and she clapped her hands together. "Really? Oh, Kurt, thank you! You're a life saver!"

As much as he meant it, it was impossible for Kurt not to doubt his ability; it was too second nature for him. "But are you sure I'll be good enough? I mean, I'm hardly what you would called qualified and GQ is a big deal. Shouldn't you go with a professional?" he began to back peddle.

"No, I'm sure about this. I'd much rather help an up and coming model get their chance than risk hiring another _professional_. So the job is yours as long as you want it, Kurt."

"Thank you. I want the job." Kurt blushed and smiled sheepishly at her. "I'll give it my very best… I just hope that will be enough." An embarrassed groan escaped from his mouth. _'Way to show initiative, Kurt.' _

Isabelle's familial ties to Sugar showed through when she gave Kurt the same sweet smile as her niece always did. Even though they had just met, Kurt felt comfortable around Isabelle, so he didn't pull away when she gently patted his hand across the table. "Hey, Sugar and her friends chose you to be their model for the show, right? That means something. You're stunning Kurt, and this is coming from someone who works with models on a regular basis. You have a face that was born to be on camera."

Hearing such praise from someone other than his friends was new for Kurt, but he liked how it made him feel. A real professional in the field had deemed Kurt Hummel attractive enough to possibly make it as a model. It still hardly seemed possible to Kurt that his girlish features would be sought out by anyone in the industry. But maybe, just maybe, this could be his foot in the door: his ticket to success.

"I have to go, but my assistant at the front desk will fill you in on all of the details. I'm excited to work with you tomorrow, Kurt." Isabelle gave him a quick goodbye and waved as she made her exit.

Kurt nodded and forced himself to stand once he was left alone in the room. He listened intently to the assistant and wrote down all of the information in his phone. He thanked her too many times and couldn't stop smiling. He was on cloud nine, and as far as he was concerned, nothing could bring him down right now.

He couldn't wait to tell the others what had happened!

"You're going to be my auntie's model? Shut up! That's amazing, Angel!" Sugar exclaimed, slamming her mug down on the table.

Sugar's reaction was exactly what Kurt had expected and he beamed back at her. This was precisely the sort of thing Kurt needed right now. Hopefully with a little reassurance from the group Kurt could keep himself from constantly doubting his ability.

"And in GQ no less! If it was anyone else, Angel, I'd feel mighty jealous of you," Unique said, never taking her eyes off of Kurt as she handed Sugar a towel to clean up her mess.

"Thanks, I'm really excited," Kurt replied. _'And nervous...' _He didn't need to voice that last thought, because he was sure his friends could already tell. Kurt's hands were tightly clutched around the mug he was holding. He was excited of course, but the anxiety in the pit of his stomach was slowly building.

"Well you should be. My auntie could have chose anyone but she went and picked you, Angel." Sugar pulled Kurt's right hand free and gave it an encouraging squeeze.

Kurt shrugged off the compliment. "Yes well, I think her choice more has to do with the fact that I was available on such short notice." Only the truly delusional would think he'd gotten the job offer for any other reason. "If there had been more time then they wouldn't have to settle on a nobody like me with no modeling experience whatsoever."

Sebastian, who had remained oddly quiet ever since Kurt had arrived at the studio, made a snort of derision. "Oh, would you listen to yourself Kurt. 'They had to settle for you.' You seriously need to stop putting yourself down like that. If you don't learn how to value yourself then how is anyone else suppose to."

"That's easy for you to say, but not all of us were born with an overdeveloped sense of confidence, _Sebastian_." Just in case the snark in Kurt's voice wasn't enough to make his displeasure known, he cast his boyfriend a cool glance out of the corner of his eye. Sebastian merely yawned, pretending not to notice as he lay back on the chaise lounge he was reclining on.

"If you're that unsure about it, then you should do Isabelle a favour and just quit," Sebastian countered.

"You should know by now that I'm no quitter Sebastian. I told her I'd do the job, so that's what I'm going to do. Whether I think I'm fully capable or not."

"Or you could just stop being so fucking timid and strap on a pair."

Kurt narrowed his eyes; he'd almost forgotten how obnoxious Sebastian could be, and he wasn't even trying that hard right now. "Maybe I was just trying to be modest, not that you'd even understand the meaning of the _word_."

"There's a big difference between showing discretion and having no faith in yourself-or in others for that matter. When you say that Isabelle had to settle for you, you're also discrediting her ability as a designer. As if she doesn't have the sense, judgement or taste to choose someone better than you for the job." Sebastian pushed himself up from the lounge and shoved his hands in his trouser pockets. Kurt had never seen him look so pissed before; Sebastian's normally wagging eyebrows were furrowed angrily together.

"I didn't-" Kurt began, but Sebastian's harsh gaze rendered him silent. "I wasn't thinking, _okay_," he grumbled. Would it hurt Sebastian to word himself a bit more considerately. Didn't he understand that using such harsh words with someone who had deep insecurity issues was a pretty stupid idea. Kurt had half a mind to tell him this, except Sebastian would just give some know-it-all smug reply and make Kurt eat his words.

"Then try to the next time you start talking shit about yourself." Sebastian kicked at the floor and broke eye contact with Kurt.

What in the world was going on with him? Kurt watched as Sebastian released his festering anger by making himself a cocktail; vigorously shaking the drink together. It wasn't like Kurt was insulting _his_ ability as a designer.

Kurt turned to Unique and Sugar beside him and mouthed 'was it something I said?' Both girls merely shrugged and Unique mouthed back 'go talk to him.' Kurt nodded and slowly made his way over to the bar, sitting down on one of the stools. Sebastian's usual expression of bored indifference was back, which only alarmed Kurt even more.

"What's going on with you?" Kurt asked softly.

"I don't like hearing you treat yourself like shit, Kurt. It pisses me off that you think so little of yourself," Sebastian muttered back, averting Kurt's gaze.

"I don't mean to… I do it out of habit most of the time."

"That's even worse." Sebastian poured his drink into a martini glass and downed it all in one long gulp. "I just wish you could see yourself the way I do, Kurt."

Although unexpected, Sebastian's words were exactly what Kurt needed to hear. Feelings of love welled up inside Kurt and he walked around to the other side of the bar so he could wrap his arms around Sebastian's waist from behind. Sebastian didn't engage the contact, but he didn't pull away from it.

Kurt sighed, "I'll get there, you'll see."

"You'll do a great job, Angel," Sugar said as she and Unique joined them at the bar. "My Auntie Izzie has a really good eye for knowing what she wants. That's part of the reason why her brand's becoming so popular."

"And with your smouldering good looks Angel, you're exactly what she's looking for. Trust me, Unique is never wrong about these things," Unique boasted to the group.

"What Kurt needs is a good morale boost, which I would be only too happy to give," Sebastian flirted as he turned around in Kurt's arms, giving him a quick peck on the lips.

"Later, when we're alone," Kurt whispered in Sebastian's ear.

Sebastian brushed a loose strand of hair away from Kurt's sparkling blue eyes. "You're the one we picked to be our model Kurt, you're the one I knew we had to have the second I saw your photo. So I know better than anyone why Isabelle offered you the job. It's more than your looks, which, for the record, are hot as hell. There's something about you, Kurt, something amazing… that I can't begin to put in words."

"And that's saying something, 'cause Sebastian usually has an opinion about everything," Unique added with a wink.

Kurt chuckled.

"Every single pro starts out the same way: they were given a chance and were brave enough to take it," Sebastian finished.

For the longest time Kurt had always resented his looks; years of being told he was too feminine for anyone to find him attractive had left their mark. Kurt hadn't even fully realized just how much self-loathing he had gone through until now. Because of the people in front of him, Kurt was finally able to see the truth. He was attractive, and even if he weren't, he was learning that outer beauty didn't matter as much as what was on the inside. The things that made him different were what he should be most proud of. While Kurt had no intentions of rising to Sebastian's levels of conceit, he needed to take his boyfriend's words to heart and learn to value himself.

"I guess a little superiority couldn't hurt," Kurt muttered under his breath.

Sebastian must have heard him, because his body shook with barely constrained laughter. "That's the spirit, embrace your hotness, babe," Sebastian urged.

Sugar nodded in agreement. "I call you Angel for good reason you know."

"If I were into dudes, I'd totally nail you," a voice called from somewhere within studio.

Everyone snapped their heads around to stare at Puck, who they thought had been napping in one of the chairs at the sewing stations.

"What?" Puck frowned in confusion. "It's true, I would, and I have no problem admitting it." He rolled his eyes at the lot of them, apparently fed up with their gaping. "Stop acting like you're a bunch of stupid ass homophobes."

Kurt was too shocked to make any sort of response; it was hard enough for him not to run into the bathroom and throw cold water onto his blushing face.

"What about me, Noah? Would you wanna fuck me too?" Sebastian asked, his voice dripping with seduction.

"Not on your life, you'd pull some sort of kinky-bordering-on-psychotic mind game on me for sure. No one's worth that kind of effort, not even for sex," Puck replied matter-of-factly.

This new side of Puck that didn't blow up aggressively to shut down Sebastian's fake advances was oddly entertaining.

The distraction couldn't have come for at a better time and Kurt used it to escape into the bathroom. He looked up at his reflection to find his face flushed bright red with embarrassment. Kurt didn't even know why he'd reacted so extremely to Puck's harmless comment. It had just come so out of the blue.

Kurt splashed cold water onto his face and took a deep breath. He heard a knock of the door and before he could reply, Puck opened it to poke his head inside.

"You okay?" Puck asked.

"Yeah," Kurt grunted back.

"Look I didn't mean anything with what I said-"

"I know," Kurt interrupted. "I'm honestly flattered, Puck."

"Then do me a favour and go give Sebastian some action so he'll stop coming onto me!" Puck ordered, pulling Kurt back out into the main room.

Later that evening, after spending some time at the studio working on the showpiece suit, Kurt was invited to Sebastian's place for dinner. As much as Kurt hoped a thrilling make out session would follow their delicious meal, there was something he needed to get off of his chest first.

"Are you sure you're okay with me not wanting to move in with you?" Kurt asked as Sebastian started to clear the table.

Sebastian just shrugged at him and continued tidying up. "It's your life Kurt, so it's your choice in the end."

"Yes, but you're a part of my life too and I still value your opinion."

"Careful, sometimes the truth can turn around and bite you in the ass."

"I'm going to ignore that comment and trust you're being sincere, Sebastian," Kurt rose to his feet to help Sebastian wash the dishes; Sebastian handed him a towel to dry and they made short work of the task. As soon as Sebastian put the last cup away he was on Kurt, pressing his lips against the side of his neck. Kurt let out a soft moan from the contact, stroking the small of Sebastian's back with his hands.

"You know, I'm kind of jealous that you'll be Isabelle's model before ours now," Sebastian admitted to Kurt in between his teasing neck nibbles.

Kurt grasped the bottom of Sebastian's jaw with his hands and fluttered his eyes at his boyfriend. "You could always change that and take what's rightfully yours." He inched his head up to kiss Sebastian softly on the lips before he could give any sort of cocky response. The ploy ended up working, a little too well, as Sebastian kissed Kurt back with rising passion.

"Since you…" Kurt paused after Sebastian snuck in another deep kiss. "...did ask me first and all."

"Are you sure you're talking about modeling, and not something more _pressing_." Sebastian grabbed onto Kurt's hips and pulled him in so the front of their bodies touched to emphasize his point.

Oh how Kurt was tempted to pretend otherwise and have some real fun, but he wasn't about to resort to being a cock tease. He doubted he would get the upper hand for very long either-or at all- Sebastian talents in foreplay were too good.

"You must have a decent camera on your phone, so what do you say Sebastian, feel like playing dress up?" Kurt asked, his voice getting all low and throaty.

"Hold that thought. Be right back." Sebastian pressed a finger against Kurt's lips before darting off into his bedroom at high speed.

"Hey! Don't wimp out on me now. You're suppose to be the courageous one in this relationship remember!"

Sebastian returned a moment later with a large and very professional looking camera in his right hand. He held it up over his head and Kurt saw his boyfriend had armed it with a large flash lenses already. "This is your first time we're talking about, so we're need to do this right and to do that, we're gonna need the right tools for the job!"

Now Kurt almost wished they were talking about sex, but that particular first could wait for another day. Perhaps this little foray into the unknown would have positive results all around, spanning even into the physical side of their relationship. With that hope in mind, Kurt strutted towards Sebastian and followed him into his closet, ready to literally take whatever his boyfriend threw at him.

The first lesson in modelling Kurt had to learn was adjusting to the constant near-blinding flash of the camera lens. Every time Sebastian took another shot, Kurt was left squinting and seeing dots. Then, as soon as he got the hang of that, Kurt had to deal with remaining perfectly still. Not only that, but knowing how to present himself-both with his body language and even his posture-was just as important to master.

Fortunately Kurt had ample chances to practice all of this and more right now, because, like in most things, Sebastian took photography quite seriously. He just kept on going, take photo after photo and having Kurt stand, lie, sit and lean in every position imaginable. He also kept using every innuendo in the book as he instructed Kurt to move into these various poses. Which didn't make it easy for Kurt to keep a straight face; he kept laughing.

"Move your chin just to the right. That's it, oh yeah, that's the money shot," Sebastian muttered and he finally snapped the shutter.

By this point Kurt had already changed into and modelled seven different outfits, each one being a Sebastian Smythe original. At least Kurt knew he had the patience for modelling work. Since the photographer this time was also his boyfriend, Kurt dared to make a few playful suggestions and Sebastian actually used a few of them. Playing dress up hadn't turned out to be as fun and Kurt had hoped, but he was still enjoying himself. The way that Sebastian kept studying him so intently and full of reverence, made him feel as if he were the eighth wonder of the world.

"How many more?" Kurt groaned when Sebastian told him he was ready for the next outfit.

"Getting sore? Sometimes shoots can take the whole day Kurt, so I'd buck up if I were you," Sebastian warned.

"Fine, but we're doing one last wardrobe change and that's it because not getting enough sleep is bad for the skin," Kurt grumbled.

"I'm the one who told you that!" Sebastian pointed out with a laugh.

Kurt slumped onto the bed and let his body go slack; he had to hand it to Sebastian, he knew how to work a camera. Yet another thing to add to Sebastian's already overflowing list of talent-wonderful. "You know maybe you missed your calling."

"I'm allowed to love more than one thing, but designing will always be it for me. It is nice to have some hobbies to fall back on though," Sebastian's voice trailed from the closet.

"I can't help but envy you, Sebastian. I still have no idea what my true passions are…" At least none that compared to Sebastian and his love for design, but he then realized there was one he could think of. "Aside from you of course."

"There's nothing wrong with that, and there's no time like the present to start figuring it out. You know, while you're still young and in your prime and all."

Before Kurt could make a flirty comeback reply, Sebastian stepped back into view and when Kurt saw what was in his hand, his blood ran cold. He was holding a dress, a honest to god maroon cocktail dress! Kurt face turned white from the shock of seeing it, and it took all the strength in him not to bolt. But no amount of maturity could stop Kurt from calling Sebastian out on his horrible idea.

"No," Kurt said flatly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Not even for me? The love of your life? The wind beneath your wings?" Sebastian begged in a sickeningly sweet voice that was so obviously fake.

"It's not gonna happen."

"I thought you wanted to be more adventurous?"

"It's either your testicles or that dress, so pick which one you wanna lose, Sebastian," threatened Kurt, who didn't even bat an eye at his boyfriend's pouting face.

Sebastian's shoulder's sagged in defeat; he skulked back over the ladies wear section of his closet and put the dress away. "Fine, have it your way then."

The victory-if it could even be called that-was short lived but felt addictively satisfying for Kurt, who grinned maliciously at Sebastian. It was so rare for him to win like this, or for Sebastian to give up so easily. He hoped it meant that Sebastian realized he'd crossed a line and sought to reconcile his error of judgement.

"It's not that I don't think the dress is lovely, and I know your intentions were just for the sake of some harmless-albeit-ill-thought-out fun, but you can't push me that hard, Sebastian. There may come a time when I'll feel comfortable enough to be photographed in a dress, but that day is not today," Kurt explained to Sebastian, who was making his way back to over to him.

Sebastian stopped directly in front of Kurt and they shared a tender kiss to reaffirm their love for one another. "I hope when and if that days come, I'll be there to see it."

"That makes the two of us," Kurt replied, smirking at him before he pulled Sebastian in for a second much deeper kiss.

He was so wrapped up in the wonderful feeling of Sebastian's lips on his, Kurt didn't notice the flash of the lense when Sebastian took a photo of them both. Nor did he protest when Sebastian placed the camera on the near by dresser to give Kurt his full attention. The photoshoot might be over, but the fun had only just begun.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter notes:** A number of things (work, life, other projects) have made be run behind with Paradise. I no longer had a number of chapters backed up and ready like before. Because of this, I am changing to a three week update, at least for the next month or so. I'm sorry for that, but I need to give my beta and I a chance to catch up and keep ahead again. If it's any sort of consolation, the next few chapters are on the more longer side. Thanks for your patience!

Chapter Nine

Kurt had always had a problem remaining patient. Back when his life had been full of nothing but studying, his days had been spent impatiently waiting for the next exam to be over and done with. But things were different now. Now Kurt found himself trying to survive the wait until he needed to head off to the photoshoot location. So far his attempts to distract himself in Puck's apartment had been futile. There was no cable or wifi, and he didn't want to use any of his cell data if he could help it (there was no telling when his parents might cut his phone's plan off). Kurt had every intention to set up and pay for his own plan as soon he got the money from today's job.

He had been passing the time by trying to iron his shirts the way Sebastian had taught him when his phone started to ring. Kurt froze; all of his friends were in class, so who in the blazes was calling him? A scary thought entered his mind and he put the iron down and unplugged it. Kurt looked at his phone and let out a sigh of relief; unknown number. Not his mom then, unless she was calling from somewhere other than home. Knowing his luck, it was probably just a wrong number, but he decided to answer it out of sheer boredom.

"Hello?"

"Kurt, is that you?" a male voice that Kurt instantly recognized replied.

"Blaine?" How in the world was he calling? Nobody at school knew the number to his cell phone.

"Oh thank goodness! I was afraid you wouldn't recognize my number and ignore the call. I tried calling you last night but it just went to voicemail. And I didn't feel comfortable just leaving you a text either."

"Sorry, I've been so busy, and I barely know how to use my phone to check my caller history." Kurt wasn't about to tell Blaine he had been busy having an impromptu photoshoot with his boyfriend-for obvious reasons. "How did you get my number?"

"I asked Sugar for it. It took a lot of pestering text messages for her to give it to me."

That made no sense to Kurt; why would Blaine contact Sugar, a girl who he had a whole awkward history going on with, to get a hold of Kurt, a student he barely even talked to. "Is everything all right?"

"That's what I should be asking you Kurt: you haven't shown up for class for the past three days. Today was your big midterm and considering how badly your last test went, I was shocked that you missed it. Nobody at school seems to know where you disappeared to either, or even care that you went MIA all of a sudden!" Blaine went quiet for a minute. "Sorry."

Kurt wasn't sure if Blaine was apologizing for raising his voice or for the blunt comment about how no one at school had noticed he was gone. Little did Blaine know that Kurt had not only expected, but was counting on that fact. It was better if no one was bothered by Kurt's absence; it meant nobody would be asking questions about him. So the fact that Blaine had actually gone to the trouble to contact him was incomprehensible.

"What's going on Kurt? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine Blaine, I didn't mean to worry you," Kurt began._ 'But I didn't think you cared enough to go this far.' _Kurt didn't have the nerve to say that last bit out loud. Not after hearing the obvious concern in Blaine's voice. But that still didn't mean Kurt would start telling Blaine what had happened to him. For one thing Kurt didn't have the time; he needed to head off to the photoshoot pretty soon.

"This isn't the best time for me to explain things to you, Blaine." As far as Kurt was concerned, the moment when he'd be able to catch Blaine up to date was a long time off, if it would even happen at all. It wasn't that he distrusted Blaine-he used to have a big crush on him after all-and Blaine's character was impeccable as ever. Kurt just wasn't used to sharing such personal information with people.

"Look Blaine, I really have to go now. An opportunity's come up that's too good for me to pass."

"Can you please try get back to me later then? When it's more convenient?"

"I'll try, you can text me if you haven't heard from me by tomorrow. As I said..."

"...you have a lot going on, I got it. Thanks, and good luck with whatever you're about to do I guess."

Kurt didn't need to see Blaine to know how awkward their conversation was; he felt it too. "Thanks and really, I'm okay. Bye, Blaine."

As soon as Kurt ended the call with Blaine he saw that he had missed a text message from Sebastian wishing him good luck with the photoshoot. He had no intentions to ignore his boyfriend, he just wanted to make sure he looked okay first. So Kurt hurried into the bathroom to check his appearance in the mirror. Once he was confident that he was presentable enough, he checked the time on his phone. He wasn't running late or anything, but he decided to head off a little early and talk to Sebastian during his walk to the bus stop.

"Hi, thanks for the words of encouragement."

"You had me wondering if my 'good luck making love to the camera' text had crossed a line and you were angrily ignoring it."

'_I'm not that prone to annoyance_,' Kurt thought, but he held his tongue. "I was talking to someone on the phone."

"Which _someone_ is this?"

Kurt saw no reason to keep the truth from Sebastian, so he replied, "A classmate of mine who wondered what had happened to me."

"Guy or girl?"

"Does it really matter?"

"You tell me." The casualness in Sebastian's tone told Kurt that he wasn't being serious with his questions. Or at least that's what it sounded like to Kurt, who was very glad for it.

"It's a guy, and he's straight, so there's no need for you to feel jealous," Kurt teased.

"Just making sure. But just so you know, I do trust you, babe."

"As you should." Kurt checked his watch; the bus would coming in three minutes. "Anyway, I should go. I'll call you once the job is over."

"You'll be an amazing in front of the camera Kurt; I've got the photos to prove it," declared Sebastian, who ended the call before Kurt could say a proper farewell.

The bus pulled into the stop and Kurt lined up to board. Kurt hadn't seen any of the photos Sebastian had taken of him from yesterday night, but that was by choice. The last thing Kurt needed right now was to see how he looked in them. Ignorance was his best option, and Sebastian had also thoroughly assured him (using an array of come ons, compliments and shameless pickup lines) that he looked 'smoking hot in every shot' (he'd actually sung that part). In fact, Sebastian had voiced his wishes to frame and display a number of them in his apartment. At first Kurt had admitted to his boyfriend that the idea of his image being hung up for all to see (even if Sebastian wasn't one for company) made him nervous. But then his boyfriend had wisely pointed out that Kurt's face would grace the pages of GQ magazine in a few months.

It was hard to deny Sebastian such a request, and in the end he'd agreed to consider it, but not until he'd gotten through today. He hoped that after having his first official modelling gig, he would be more open to being seen by the world.

The first sign that Kurt's day might be a good one came when he made it to the location well ahead of time and without getting lost. The shoot was taking place in the lobby of a high end hotel which was partitioned off and would be for the duration of the shoot, to stop any hotel guests from accidentally walking in and interrupting their work.

As soon as he arrived, Kurt was whisked away by one of Isabelle's assistants and was handed off to the hair and makeup team. The dressing room had been set up in one of the hotel's fancy suites, and it all looked quite professional. No sooner than he stepped inside, Kurt was greeted by four people, two of which had to be the hair and makeup artist (though Kurt had no idea who was who at this point).

The only man in the team stepped forward to greet Kurt; his arms were covered in tattoos and his spiky black hair was dyed blonde at the tips. His earlobes sported black gages that matched his 'clean-cut-with-a bit-of-rock-glam-thrown-in' image. As for his clothes, the black with white polka dot button down shirt paired with ripped black skinny jeans fully sealed the deal. Whoever he was; straight, gay, bi, single or taken, Kurt had no trouble admitting his very obvious good looks. So would Sebastian, Kurt realized. But what stood out the most was the man's kind smile.

"Okay all, this is our model Kurt, and just so you all know, he's new to this, so try to go easy on him," glam guy explained.

"Thanks." Kurt couldn't say exactly why, but there seemed to be some sort of familiarity going on between him and this guy. Which made no sense because Kurt would have remember meeting someone like him. "Do I know you?" he asked, just for the sake of clarity.

"No, this is the first time we've met. But we do have a mutual acquaintance who's told me all about you. I'm the makeup artist, Elliott Gilbert," he said, holding out his hand to Kurt.

Kurt shook it without any reluctant; it was pretty easy to guess who this mutual acquaintance of theirs could be. "It's so like Sebastian to go ahead and do stuff like this without giving me any heads up."

"That's him alright," Elliott agreed. "Everything he said about you was very nice though, which isn't like how he usually describes guys-well, eligible guys anyway. Mostly he just comments how tight their ass is and stuff-which he also did to you. But his compliments were more about you as a person, and not just about your 'smoking hot good looks.'"

"That was nice of him," Kurt said. Though the thought of Sebastian gushing about how amazing his boyfriend was made him very glad he hadn't been there to see it first hand.

The blonde woman who had been standing next to Elliott stepped forward to look at Kurt with interest. "So this is Sebastian's boyfriend I've been hearing about then?" She studied Kurt's features from every angle, circling around him. "It makes sense I guess. He always did have a thing for the lookers, but then, who doesn't."

"This is Kitty, who is going to be your hairdresser for the job." Elliott then pointed to the two remaining ladies in the room. "And that's Andrea, and Gina, our two wonderful assistants."

"It's nice to meet all of you, and to answer your question Kitty, yes that would be me; Kurt Hummel, fledgling model and boyfriend of Sebastian Smythe," Kurt replied with a playful smirk. Just the fact that he could state his relationship status so casually with people he had just met was quite welcome. So was the fact that no one was treating him any different.

Well, except for Kitty, who was smirking at him now. "Must be nice… from what I've _heard_…"

All of a sudden Elliott closed in on Kurt's face and furrowed his brows together. "Hmm, your face is a bit red. It's no real problem, since we can always cover it up with makeup, but are you feeling all right, Kurt?"

"Maybe having you all up in his face is the reason he's blushing, Elliott," Kitty countered.

"I'm fine," Kurt hastily covered.

From that point on, Kurt was graciously inducted into the group as he was attacked from both sides with hair and makeup brushes. He sat on the chair and just tried to remain as still as possible, but it wasn't easy with all of the jokes being cracked. Kurt wondered if the carefree atmosphere was typical for most modelling gigs or if this was a special case. Either way, Kurt was just happy his first job was starting off so well.

Kitty had just finished putting the final touches on hair when the wardrobe team arrived to take over. Kurt's first outfit for the shoot consisted of a navy long sleeve dress shirt, slim-fit khaki pants, a dark brown leather jacket, and matching brown leather chelsea boots. Yet again Kurt kept still as the stylists dressed him in the ensemble. Even though Kurt had expected it, it still felt odd to have so many people around him. But his anxiety was no where near panic attack levels; he was actually holding it together rather well.

Isabelle waltzed in next and went straight to Kurt, who was trying to keep his composure while one of the stylists was fussing with his belt.

"Why Kurt, you look simply amazing." Isabelle turned around to face the group and beamed at them with pride. "Great job everyone!"

Her comment seemed to signify that their work was over and Elliott, Kitty and their assistants began to tidy up their makeshift stations. Isabelle placed her hand on Kurt's shoulder and guided him towards the door. "How are you feeling?" she asked him softly.

"Good," Kurt automatically replied. It was the best answer he could think of, and it was the truth. Kurt did feel good, but aside from that, it was difficult to put his emotional state into words right now. Aside from being nervous, but that was to be expected. "Everyone's been really nice."

Isabelle smiled. "Good. I want you to enjoy yourself today, Kurt. Things might get a little chaotic at times, but that's often how it is for most shoots."

Even though Kurt was a novice, he still doubted that any future modelling jobs he might possibly land would be like this one. He couldn't pinpoint why today was different yet; perhaps is was because of Isabelle's keen leadership qualities. Her kindness paired with her dedication to the job was the perfect combination.

"If you say so," Kurt said, smirking. Isabelle's friendly nature made it easy for Kurt to tease her and not worry that he was acting too familiar.

Isabelle gave Kurt's shoulder one final pat before she headed out the door and gestured for him to follow. Kurt turned back to voice his thanks to the group before following her out of the suite. As a safety precaution against anxiety, Kurt hadn't looked at his reflection, and that wise decision seemed to be doing the trick. Right until Kurt was brought to the shoot location and he saw all the people busily preparing the shoot. The professional setup was enough to make his heart leap up into his throat.

_'Calm down,' _Kurt willed himself. _'There's no reason to panic. This is what you wanted.' _

"Everyone," Isabelle announced. "Our model is ready." She waved her hands at Kurt, urging him to come stand beside her and he forced his legs to move. "I'd like to introduce you all to Kurt Hummel, who graciously saved our skins today when he accepting the job on such short notice."

Kurt greeted each person (all four of them) as Isabelle introduced him to them. His heart was still racing, but he was determined to appear as calm and confident as they all were. He pushed aside the shy and unsure youth he had once been and let Kurt Hummel-the-model take centre stage.

Julian, who was the photographer (and Isabelle's husband, he had just learned), began to describe the pose he wanted Kurt to be in for the first shot. His instructions were so precise that Kurt quickly maneuvered his body into the desired position.

"Like this?" Kurt asked just to be sure. He was casually reclining on one of the lobby's expensive leather chairs with his elbows resting on the arms.

"Yep, that's it. Now look at the camera and really sell it, Kurt," Julian said. He waited as Kurt built his confidence until his expression was apparently perfect and he pressed the shutter button. "There, that's one shot down. I hope you're comfy Kurt, because there's a lot more to come."

"I could stay like this all day." Kurt joked.

Only there was no risk of that happening, because once Julian was content with the first set, Kurt was sent off for a wardrobe change. Several more followed and the countless combinations he was dressed in put Sebastian's efforts from yesterday to shame.

"Is it too hot for you Kurt? I can have a fan brought up," Isabelle asked Kurt later on when they were back in the hotel room/dressing room. Isabelle was off on his right personally putting together his last ensemble for the job.

"No I'm okay. I'm as cool as a cucumber." Kurt barely managed to stop himself from groaning in embarrassment. Who even used such outdated phrases like that anymore?

"What is it with you models never seeming to sweat," Kitty muttered from her spot hovering at the side of Kurt's head.

Kurt had already learned that it was better not to encourage Kitty's antics by responding to such comments. So he just quietly sat in his chair as she and Elliott put the finishing touches on his next look.

There was a short setback when Isabelle couldn't decide which colour tie to go with. Kurt was surprised by how distraught Isabelle looked over which one she should choose. It reminded him that no matter how confident she seemed, Isabelle was still human and could be just as unsure of herself as anyone. The attention to detail she gave to job reminded Kurt of Sebastian and how he was the same way. A smile spread across Kurt's face from just thinking about his boyfriend. What was he up to right now? Mostly likely toiling away at one of the sewing machines at the studio, or barking orders, or both.

As soon as Kurt was ready he put any thoughts of Sebastian aside before they could distract him. The photoshoot lasted long into the evening, and by the end of it Kurt's tired body was aching in many different places. He took it in stride though, because it was nothing next to the satisfaction he felt.

Isabelle clapped her hands together to call attention. "All right gang, that is a wrap on today. Thank you so much for all of your hard work!"

Kurt joined the chorus of cheers given in response. Then he went back to the suite one last time to change back into the clothes he'd come in. As much as he'd enjoyed the whole experience, Kurt was glad to have a moment to himself. He wasn't used to being around so many people, but he knew he would need to adjust to it if he had any hopes to turn modelling into a career. Kurt might have a lot yet to learn, but his first day as a hired model had turned out quite well.

_'It won't always be this easy though,' _Kurt reminded himself. Encouraging himself was one thing, but he couldn't grow too optimistic. Breaking into any industry was rough. Modeling especially, or so he assumed.

Lost in his thoughts, Kurt was caught totally off guard when Isabelle stepped into the hotel room right when he'd finished taking off the jeans he'd worn for last set of shots. The fact that he was naked save for his boxer-briefs didn't click at first. Isabelle didn't react to it either, at least not at first.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said finally when the awkward pause felt like it had lasted almost as long as the actual photo shoot. She instantly turned around and gave her back to Kurt, who hastily grabbed his pants and shoved his foot into the leg. "Where are my manners! I keep forgetting that you're new at modelling and probably not used to having to strip at will in front of people."

"It's all right. No harm done."

"I came to tell you that a number of us were going to have dinner at the hotel here and you're welcome to join us. Everyone is really impressed with your conduct today Kurt, and no one more than I."

Kurt blushed for a moment before he remembered she had just invited him to dinner with the rest of the crew. "That's super nice of you to offer, and if it were any other day I would say yes." He was somewhat tempted to say yes anyway and just text Sebastian to ask for a rain check on their date. "But I have plans already…" He missed his boyfriend too much, and he was too tired to put on a show for everyone.

"Like a hot date with Sebastian?" Isabelle questioned with a knowing grin.

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Does everyone in this town know who he is?" he groaned. "I guess you would know him from Sugar though."

"Actually, I first met Sebastian when he was hired for my fall fashion shown. I didn't find out he was friends with Sugar until she arrived to watch it and saw him there."

"And what show was this exactly?"

"I hold a fashion show four times a year to showcase my new lines for each season. Sebastian was one of my models for the October show, and he's agreed to be in the spring one that's happening next month as well."

Just when Kurt thought Sebastian was really beginning to open up to him, here was yet another piece of information he hadn't bothered to share. He didn't expect Sebastian to spend hours on end telling him every single factoid about his life, but it still annoyed Kurt that Sebastian hadn't shared the fact that he not only knew Isabelle, but had modelled for her. He'd had plenty of chances to say something. It made no sense until Kurt tried to look at things from Sebastian's perspective; maybe Sebastian didn't feel it was important to tell Kurt when he already had so much on his mind.

"Would you like to be in the spring show too, Kurt?" Isabelle asked.

"I would love to!" Kurt shouted back without any hesitation-or volume control. He quickly toned down his excitement, even if it was a little too late. "I mean, yes I would. Thank you for asking."

Isabelle chuckled at his eager response. "Wonderful! I'll have my assistant send you all the details." She held her arms out to Kurt, who stepped towards her so they could share a quick hug. "Thank you for the excellent workmanship you showed today, Kurt. We'll be in touch, okay?"

Kurt nodded.

"Now I really need to go before everyone decides to go ahead and order their meals without me! Have a lovely time on your date with Sebastian tonight!" Isabelle chimed as she opened the door to the hotel and darted into the hallway.

Kurt heard the sound of her clicking heel and he smiled; he was just about to close the door behind him, when heard different, heavier footsteps.

"Hold up! I forgot my phone in there!" Elliott yelled as he appeared around the corner.

Elliott dashed inside hotel room as Kurt held the door open for him. The makeup artist managed to find his phone quickly and he smiled at Kurt on his return. "Thanks."

"No problem," Kurt replied.

"Are you going to dinner too?"

Kurt shook his head. "No. I have a date with Sebastian." It still felt weird to say that so casually.

"Lucky you," Elliott said with the playful smirk. "I won't keep you then. It was nice working with you Kurt; we must do it again. Oh, and tell your boyfriend I said hi." Elliott waved at Kurt as he headed off down the hallway, whistling merrily as he went.

While he had nothing to go on, Kurt couldn't help but think that Elliott's association with Sebastian wasn't just work related. He could be wrong; Kurt didn't know if Elliott was gay for starters, though his 'lucky you' seemed to suggest that.

Kurt made it all the way to the hotel lobby until he was approached once again, this time by two young woman who, judging by their uniforms, must work at the hotel.

"Excuse me, sorry to bother you, but could we get a picture together before you go?" Asked the shorter of the two, who was brunette and had a nice smile.

"We saw your shoot today and it was amazing to watch you work," the taller woman with short dirty blonde hair explained.

Kurt was so surprised by the request that he just nodded and tried not to look like an idiot as he posed in between the ladies for the photo. He took their compliments in sheepish stride, thanked them for their support and grinned when they said they would buy the issue of GQ as soon as it came out. He left the hotel in in a happy daze, hardly believing the day's events were even real.

If only his good mood could last forever. But as much fun as the gig had been; come tomorrow Kurt would still need to find a stable job. There was still much soul searching for him to do as well, and Kurt would face it all. He would resume his job hunt full force, no matter what obstacles came his way. But for now, Kurt wanted to celebrate his first victory and who better than to do that with then the man he loved.

He typed up a text to let Sebastian know he was on his way, hit the send button and strolled down the street towards the bus stop with his head held high. If only his mother could see him now. _'She would hardly recognize me,' _Kurt thought.

What once would have been a sad note now filled Kurt with pride. He was a newly made man, one who wouldn't let anyone push him around.

The next day the members of Paradis Bise and their model met at the studio, both to work on the show piece and hear about Kurt's Bellalise photoshoot. Kurt had come prepared; he had asked Kitty to take a couple of candid shots yesterday, and to his amazement she had said yes.

Sugar was the first to see said shots, and she let out a high pitched squeal. "Oh, my god!" she shouted, grabbing Kurt's cellphone so she could get a closer look. "Angel! Wow! You look amazing! I mean, I knew you would, but, may I say: yowzah! Talk about too hot to handle! I'm surprised Sebby doesn't have burn marks all over his hands."

"Anyone would look that good when the pros are called in to work on you," Puck argued, though Kurt was pretty sure he was just kidding around.

"Makeup and designer labels can only take you so far Puck, and let me tell you, cheekbones as fine crafted and chiselled as this cannot be fabricated," Unique announced as she reached out to affectionately to pinch Kurt's cheek.

"Good genetics were the one positive thing I got from my parents," Kurt joked.

Sebastian rolled his eyes. "Not that they deserve any of the credit."

When the ladies had gotten their fill of Kurt's photos (all four of them; apparently Kitty's charity only went so far) his cellphone was passed on to Sebastian. He ignored everyone around him and he stared intently at the screen. His expression began to change from approval to slightly turned on. Soon Sebastian was dreamily grinning from ear to ear, a look that Kurt normally only saw when they were alone.

"Not bad. I still prefer the photos from our private shoot, but that's a given," Sebastian muttered, refusing to take his attention away from the screen of Kurt's phone.

All eyes in the room (save for Sebastian's) turned to stare at Kurt and he turned red in the face. "I was fully dressed the entire time of that private shoot!" he quickly informed, to set the record straight before anyone could get any strange ideas-that Sebastian would no doubt encourage.

"But I'm not ready to share any of those yet," Sebastian said with a wink. "Not until Kurt agrees to letting me display at least one of them in my apartment."

Following an enjoyable dinner together, the group parted ways and Kurt and Sebastian headed off together to spend some quality alone time. Kurt spent the drive to Puck's apartment going over his calendar in his phone. He had already marked the date of the Bellalise spring fashion show, and when the issue of GQ he was in would be released. Another upcoming date suddenly caught his eye and his mouth hung open in surprise.

"There's only three weeks left before the fashion show at SAIC!" Kurt turned to look at Sebastian, but his boyfriend didn't react to the news and kept his attention on driving. "Sebastian, are you sure we're going to finish in time?"

In true Sebastian 'I-don't-care-to-give-a-shit' fashion, the designer merely shrugged the question off. "We'll manage; the pants and dress shirt are done and the waistcoat's almost complete."

That still left the main jacket, boots, top hat and the all the other crazy accessories to work on. Kurt furrowed his brows together with worry. Three weeks hardly felt like enough time for what was remaining. But Sebastian was the designer, not him, so Kurt wasn't about to challenge his claim. Any attempts to, however considerate Kurt's intentions were, would surely blow up in his face.

"All right then, I'll trust your judgement, but sometimes I wonder if that carefree attitude of yours is going to bite you in the ass one day," Kurt teased.

Sebastian rolled his eyes. "Like you can talk; you're a predesigned worry wort most of the time. Better watch out or you'll start getting premature wrinkles." He flashed Kurt one of his quintessential mocking grins. "Good luck trying to make it as a model with those, babe."

"At least I'm not stressing over test results anymore."

The sky was beginning to darken as Kurt and Sebastian made it to Puck's apartment. Sebastian parked in the empty spot and turned the engine off. He leaned over to Kurt and flashed him his best charming smile.

_'Finally,'_ Kurt thought, he'd been longing for his boyfriend to get his flirt on. Kurt would have gone first, but it felt wrong to when Sebastian was driving. Not that he couldn't multi-task; it just wasn't as much fun as compared to when Kurt had his full attention-like right now.

"You looked really hot in those photos from Bellalise shoot." Sebastian placed his hand on Kurt's thigh and began to stroke it teasingly. "I'm loving your outfit today too. I'm finding you too irresistible right now actually. How about I give you a hickey, Kurt?"

Kurt's whole body was tingling and the seductive tone of Sebastian's voice made him shiver in anticipation. "Go for it," he urged, kissing his boyfriend full on the mouth to start things off.

Despite how much Kurt enjoyed making out with his boyfriend, the space limitations in Sebastian's convertible made it difficult to get his full groove on. Not only that, but Kurt was craving more than this. Kurt batted his eyelashes at Sebastian in preparation to make some flirty remark and suggest they head inside. But then Sebastian grinned back at him and Kurt was hit with a sudden revelation. Kurt didn't want to make out until they reached their breaking point like they usually did, he wanted to go _a lot_ further. He wanted to tear off Sebastian's clothes, layer by layer, and finally see him naked. He wanted to watch as Sebastian did the same to him. Kurt's heart pounded in his chest. It amused him that the moment when he knew he was ready to have sex wasn't some earth shifting event. He was glad for that though; it left no room for hesitation. So instead of agonizing over whether he should go for it or not, Kurt let the fierce desire-and love- he felt for Sebastian take control.

Kurt focused back on the physical and kissed Sebastian with great enthusiasm. _'That's it. Keep rocking my world Sebastian, because yours is about to be turned upside down,'_ Kurt thought giddily.

"Why don't we head inside, Sebastian? The bed's calling to me…" Kurt whispered into his boyfriend's ear. He could have been more subtle with his hinting, but who had the patience for that? Certainly not Kurt; he was raring to go and barely able to keep his plans for them a secret for much longer.

Sebastian knew enough about the art of seduction to tell that his boyfriend was up to something. _'Could this be the fated night?'_ he wondered.

It sounded like it to him, but Sebastian shouldn't count his blowjobs before before he came. Whatever Kurt was alluding to, this wasn't some one night stand or a hookup. Love complicated things. But the thought of making the man he loved feel good thrilled him. He could give Kurt the first time he'd never had; one that meant something. Except he was getting ahead of himself here; he didn't even know what was going to happen once they headed inside.

"Sounds good to me," Sebastian said. Then stole a kiss from Kurt, winked at him and promptly exited the vehicle.

When he met Kurt at the front of the convertible, his boyfriend's mischievous expression filled Sebastian with giddy anticipation. _'Oh I am so getting laid tonight! Hallelujah!'_

Sebastian didn't care what they would end up doing to reach orgasm, the possibilities were endless! He actually liked not knowing; it kept things interesting. Sebastian had grown so bored of sex without feelings. Sure it was hot, but not all the time, and most often it left him craving more. Who would have thought that the thing Sebastian had been missing was the very thing he thought he might never find. Yet here he was, desperately in love with his boyfriend, who was leading him by the hand into the apartment in front of them.

"So what are we going to do when we get to the bed?" Sebastian asked. So much for leaving things for the unknown. It didn't really matter, because he knew Kurt's response would be priceless.

Sure enough, Kurt turned on his heels when they reached the front door of Puck's apartment. He somehow managed to use the key to unlock it without taking his eyes off of his Sebastian.

"Each other," Kurt casually answered as the lock clicked open.

Sebastian let out a joyful laugh and trailed after Kurt as he headed inside. He did a quick twirl, hardly believing his luck, let out a happy 'yes' under his breath, and closed the door behind them.

Back at the Motta mansion, Puck wasn't faring very well in the sex department. Sugar had sent him a text explaining that she was out shopping with Unique and wouldn't be home for a few more hours. He knew she would make it up to him, but that just made him feel even more impatient. Puck decided he'd spend the wait practicing his music, yet when he went into Sugar's room to get his guitar, he found a dapper dressed guy who was wearing an actual bowtie sitting nonchalantly on her bed reading a school text book.

The only reason Puck wasn't punching the living daylights out of the intruder was because he wasn't some stranger, it was Blaine. "Why the fuck are you here, Anderson?"

Blaine looked up from his book and smiled at Puck, acting as if his being there was nothing out of the ordinary. "Hi, Noah. It's been awhile, huh?"

"Why are you here?" Puck asked again, cutting the _pleasantries _before they could even begin.

"I came to see Sugar, the house staff told me she's out right now, so I decided to wait for her."

Puck crossed his arms and continued to scowl angrily at Blaine, but none of his usual intimidating tricks were working. "Funny that you've shown up now, because I thought you made it pretty clear that you wanted nothing to do with us anymore."

"I'm here because Sugar's been ignoring my texts…" Blaine began, but he stopped mid sentence when he saw Puck clench his fist in preparation. "It's not what you think! I just wanted to ask her if she knows where Kurt is!"

"Say what?"

Blaine got up from the bed to stand, stopping a few feet from Puck to remain out of his reach. "Kurt Hummel. He's a classmate of mine; he and Sugar are friends. Kurt stopped showing up for class this week and nobody at school knows what's going on with him-not even the faculty. I managed to get his home phone number, but when I called there and asked about Kurt, his mom said, 'No one by that names lives here,' and hung up on me. I'm really worried that something terrible has happened to him, Noah…"

"Hold up. You know Kurt?" Puck asked in disbelief. Talk about being out of the loop. He so wasn't prepared for any of this shit, and he still had no idea what was going on!

Blaine rolled his eyes. "That's what I just said. I'm surprised you didn't know that already."

"Sugar never told me." Puck paused when he thought of something else Blaine had just said. "How do you even know they're friends, Anderson?"

"Sugar and I ran into each other one day when she came to pick up Kurt at the university he and I go to. Which I now assume she didn't mention to you after it happened?" Blaine explained.

"Nope," Puck flatly replied. He saw no reason to hide his annoyance; Blaine deserved any discomfort he might be feeling right now.

"I'm sorry but none of that is my fault, so can you please just tell me where Kurt is so I can go?" pleaded Blaine. His concern seemed sincere, but still didn't mean Kurt and what he was going through was any of his business.

"Why should I?" Puck challenged.

"Because I'm worried about him; I want to know if Kurt's okay. I hate how no one at school seems to care."

"Why do you give a fuck about him though? I've never heard Kurt mention you before, so it doesn't sound to me like you were bros or anything. I bet you never paid him any attention and are feeling guilty about it now." Deep down Puck knew it was wrong of him to throw such accusations in Blaine's face, but things were hitting too close to home. Why was Blaine so worried about Kurt going MIA? Especially when he had done the same thing to him and Sugar a year ago! He had some fucking nerve.

He'd always wondered what would happen when he and Blaine crossed paths again. Would he take the unexpected high road, or would he let his inner badass out and teach Blaine a _lesson_. Puck sighed; he knew which option would get him into more trouble with Sugar. High road it was then, though Puck still wasn't going to let Blaine off _that_ easily.

"We're not exactly friends, but we were still familiar with one another…" Blaine said, his words trailing off when he'd apparently run out of words to say in his defence.

"Kurt's fine," Puck flopped down on Sugar's bed and grabbed his guitar, ignoring Blaine as he began to tune it.

"But his mom-"

"I'd leave him alone if I were you Blaine, your intentions might be good, but other people won't see it that way," Puck warned cryptically. _'Like Sebastian.'_ Though it was hard to guess how Sebastian would react to Blaine poking his nose in Kurt's business. As much as he was still pissed at Blaine, he wouldn't wish that hell on anyone. So he had no intentions to tell Sebastian-or Kurt-about any of this shittery.

But Blaine was too stubborn to give up and leave, and he showed this by throwing his hands up in frustration. "I can't! I don't know why, but it feels like Kurt has been hiding this big secret and now it's gotten him into real trouble."

"Kurt can take care of himself. He doesn't need you to come rescue him, so stop trying to play hero. If he wanted your help then he would have asked you for it. Take a fucking hint, Blaine." The intense determination on Blaine's face was easy to read; this was getting ridiculous. Puck's initial annoyance was changing into genuine anger. "I'm gonna tell you this one last time Blaine. _Back Off_. If you push at this for much longer, Kurt's boyfriend could find out, and lemme tell you, _Anderson_, you do not want that to-"

"Kurt has a boyfriend?" Blaine shouted in total shock.

"Shit." Puck ran his hand down his face; he was in for it now. "I shouldn't have said that."

Blaine's expression changed to something far more neutral. "This has nothing to do with Kurt's boyfriend," he replied, acting as if his surprise from a second ago had never happened. "I'm just worried about Kurt, because he's a classmate of mine, Puck. I thought that whenever he does come back to school, he could use some help catching up."

"If he wants your help, then he would ask for it, Anderson." Puck repeated. It was hard to keep his anger in check. He hated when people invaded his personal life.

"I know, but I get the feeling that Kurt is the type of person who has trouble asking others for help." Blaine waited for Puck to correct his claims, but all his childhood friend did was break eye contact for a moment. "Where is he now?" When Puck continued to ignore him, refusing to look him in the eye, Blaine added, "Is he staying with his boyfriend?"

"I'm not telling you dick all, Blaine," Puck swore.

That might have worked on some people, but not Blaine, who apparently felt too invested to walk away. "Fine then. I'll wait until Sugar comes home and just ask her."

"He's staying at my place!" Puck blurted before he could stop himself.

Now that Blaine had gotten what he'd come for, he made a break for the door and Puck made no attempt to go after him. He just fell back on the bed and stared at the ceiling.

"I'm in for it now," he muttered, grabbing Sugar's stuffed narwhal off the bed and hugging it for some much needed comfort.

"Eager much, Sebastian?" teased Kurt as Sebastian bolted through Puck apartment and headed straight into the bedroom.

Sebastian turned on his heels and in an instant went back to his usual cool demeanour. He swaggered back through the open door to casually lean against the frame. His look was enough to set even the most conservative person's desires aflame. In Kurt's case, it took all his self control not to run over and take him right then and there! There was no reason not to, but as much as Kurt wanted to get to the main event, playful banter was the perfect prelude for physical foreplay.

"You should take it as a compliment," Sebastian replied. "You're the only one who gets to see me like this."

"Like what?" Kurt inched towards Sebastian. His heart pounding so hard in his chest that he felt as if it could burst out at any moment.

More than willing to play Kurt's game, Sebastian pulled Kurt close to rest against the front of his body as soon as he came within reach. He placed both of his hands on either side of Kurt's waist and smiled at him, lover like, and with just the hint of desire in his shining green eyes. "Excited that I get to share a part of myself with you that I didn't even know I had, giddy that we're taking this step together-whatever that step ends up being, worried that I don't know what I'm doing, but mostly eager as fuck that my dry spell is finally over," Sebastian smugly replied.

The answer was typical Sebastian; cockiness mixed with genuine affection. And the kiss Sebastian followed it with, whew, when it was finally over Kurt could barely remain upright. His knees felt so weak that they might buckle underneath him at any moment. At least Sebastian would be there to catch him if they did.

Kurt clasped the sides of Sebastian's face with his hands and kissed him back with unrestrained passion. "Moving to the bed feels right about now, wouldn't you say?"

"Mm…" Sebastian mumbled, kissing him again. "I'd say so."

"Race you," Kurt said without warning and he darted off, but Sebastian ended up making a mad dive at the last minute and beat him too it, landing on the bed with a clumsy thud.

Instead of boasting about his great win, Sebastian seized Kurt by the waist and kissed him full on the lips. Kurt quickly responded, opening his mouth and each kiss that followed grew deeper and more urgent. Kurt took a step backwards and leaned onto the bed; Sebastian hovered in front of his boyfriend as he kneeled in front of him. Kurt let out a throaty growl from the back of his throat. None of their past makeout sessions had felt this electric; Sebastian's touch sent sparks to of pleasure through his body.

"Love you," Sebastian murmured as his lips trailed down Kurt's neck to rest at his adam's apple. He kissed the spot, and teasingly grazed his teeth along Kurt's smooth skin until he stopped at the right side of Kurt's neck.

Kurt's eyes rolled into the back of his head when Sebastian found his sweet spot and he spent a while kissing him there. As he continued to tease Kurt where he loved it most, his hands slid down from Kurt's waist and found their way into Kurt's back pants pockets. He suddenly gave Kurt's cheeks a tight squeeze and, Kurt arched his body upwards and let out a squeal of surprise.

"Give a guy a warning next time, Sebastian," Kurt muttered.

"Sorry babe, but is it my fault that I find your ass too much of a temptation?"

The longing for something more rushed through Kurt again; his decision to go for it was still firmly planted in his mind. It felt right to him. So Kurt let himself go, giving into the sensations Sebastian was triggering in his yearning body.

At the age of nineteen years, Kurt had barely known the details of sex, aside from the obvious mechanics. He had never been kissed, he let alone considered that a time would come where he would not only want to know the details, but want to try them out.

Kurt didn't regret their choice to wait until he was ready. How could he? Because of that choice, when Kurt was about to lose his virginity at long last, there were no regrets.

"Can we lose some layers? I'm dying to see if you look as good naked as you do wearing my clothes," Sebastian requested with big hopeful eyes.

"Sure." Kurt, in attempts to act sexy, pulled his shirt over his head without any further ado. For a moment he was worried his intentions had taken an awkward turn (his hair was probably a mess now) but then he saw the hunger on Sebastian's face and he instantly relaxed. Sebastian made quick work of Kurt's undershirt, chucking it away to join Kurt's now discarded over shirt.

Now that Kurt was naked from the waist up, Sebastian wasted no time in getting his hands on him. He first ran his fingertips down the front of Kurt's chest, and Kurt to let out a quiet moan from the light contact. He always loved it whenever Sebastian used his many talents to send new waves of pleasure through his body, and this time was no different. Sebastian decorated his stomach with sweet butterfly kisses before he move over to Kurt's right hip.

Sebastian nestled himself down beside Kurt on the bed; his face was full of love and happy contentment. He lazily trailed one finger down Kurt's chest and went all the way to his navel and softly kissed his stomach. "So beautiful, I could stare at this gorgeous torso of yours all night," Sebastian said, sighing dreamily.

"Fuck that," Kurt said without warning, flipping them over so now Kurt was on top. He repositioned his legs to straddle Sebastian with his thighs. Now that he had his boyfriend right where he wanted him, Kurt was quite keen to get things moving.

Sebastian fought the urge to laugh, because Kurt would probably take his amusement the wrong way. He couldn't help himself though, he was so fucking happy. Kurt had just sworn, actually sworn, and while it wasn't from anything Sebastian had directly done, it was music to his ears. But however much he wanted this, part of him wondered if he needed to ask Kurt if he was sure. Except before he could think of doing that, Kurt rubbed his groin against his and that was it.

"Shit!" Sebastian groaned; it was amazing how even the smallest amount of friction could feel so good.

Since Kurt was clearly in one of his bossy moods (which he was all for), Sebastian simply went along with his pace and began to grind along with matched enthusiasm. But he really didn't want to come in his pants if he could help it.

"I'm feeling kinda overdressed here, and I'm thinking it's gonna take some time to get you out of those pants, babe," Sebastian said.

"An excellent point," Kurt agreed and he rolled off of Sebastian so he could sit up and strip off his shirt. Kurt helped him with his tank top underneath and soon the pair were equally disrobed, but not for long.

Sebastian decided to reignite the sexual tension between them before freeing Kurt from his pants. He draped his arms on Kurt's shoulders as they kissed. When Kurt took control for a second and started sucking on his neck, Sebastian chose that moment to unzip the front of Kurt's pants. Thankfully Kurt wasn't wearing skinny jeans for once, but the fit of his pants was still snug enough that Sebastian struggled to pull them off of Kurt's hips. His efforts made Kurt chuckle, so Sebastian silenced him with a demanding kiss.

Eventually Sebastian managed to pull down Kurt's pants as far as they could go in the kneeling position they were in. "Lie down for me would you babe? I've almost got these fucking pants off of you."

Kurt laughed, "These are your pants!"

"Yeah well, I'm not loving them right now!" Sebastian grunted; he was overacting on purpose, and yet Kurt didn't ask him to stop.

"Happy now?" Kurt asked, fluttering his eyes when they were finally off.

"Can't you tell?"

Kurt rolled his eyes and sat back up. "It's your turn now. Should I do the honours?"

Sebastian waved his hands in front of his groin, signalling for Kurt to have at it. He decided to give his boyfriend a bit of a challenge, and kissed him enticingly. Kurt responded but didn't fully give up on the task at hand. Some how Kurt managed to undo and take off Sebastian's belt without any visual aid as they continued kissing. Sebastian would have congratulated him, but Kurt had already moved onto taking off Sebastian's pants.

"I'm ready, Sebastian," Kurt murmured suddenly. "I want this, I want you. I want to make you feel good." He finishing pulling off Sebastian's pants and grinned at him with pride. Fuck he was so gorgeous.

"The same goes for me. Obviously. But I'm good with whatever you want to do; be that handjobs, blow jobs, frottage or anal,. As long as we get to come, just say the word and I'll be right there with you, inching us towards release…"

"Why don't we get rid of our last layers and see what we feel like trying?" Kurt slipped his finger under the elastic of Sebastian's boxer-briefs, stretching it and letting it snap against his boyfriend's skin.

With a smile Sebastian guided his boyfriend's hands to the sides of his hips and left them there. Kurt shot him a flirtatious grin before he hooked his thumbs under the waistband and pulled them off of Sebastian's hips. Kurt ignored Sebastian's exposed cock for the moment so he could slide the boxer-briefs off his ankles, but when the job was done he came back to have his first look. Normally Sebastian would have made some sort of obnoxious remark about Kurt liking what he saw. Instead, he just lay back and watched his reaction. There was a lot going on in Kurt's attentive stare; curiosity, lust, and what else? In Sebastian's mind, Kurt appeared to be quite excited, because he sure as hell was, and they hadn't even done anything yet!

"Not bad at all," Kurt finally said, laying on the sass, which was the perfect thing to say.

"Cock tease," Sebastian replied. "You could always, oh I dunno, maybe put your hand on it so you can see what my cock is like when it's at its_ full blown_ glory."

Kurt snorted, "Well, when you put it that way." His tone was full of sarcasm and yet he still reached out to gently stroke Sebastian's cock.

It was half hard at this point, but if Kurt got a little braver it wouldn't stay that way for much longer. As Kurt built up his confidence, Sebastian helped himself along by drinking in Kurt's nearly nude body with his eyes. From head to toe, every inch of Kurt's body was a work of art. No matter how much Sebastian loved clothes, he was glad Kurt wasn't wearing a stitch right now-except those damn boxer-briefs! Sebastian wanted to take them off, but Kurt had just started pumping his cock with his hand, so he let them stay on for the time being.

"Come here, that's enough teasing me for now. I miss touching you," Sebastian urged as he beckoned Kurt to come back within kissing reach. He easily obliged and the pair reaffirmed their mutual attraction to one another. Kurt's skin felt smooth under his fingertips, and Sebastian had spent years finding the right hand cream to combat the calluses he'd formed from sewing, and the result was that the only responses Kurt's body made to his caresses were positive.

"Sebastian," Kurt breathed. "I want you so bad."

Kurt's needs were raw and out in the open, that became very clear when he leaned in close and whispered, "Take them off." Sebastian needed no further encouragement and while it didn't feel very sexy of him, he fumbled with Kurt's boxer-briefs until he finished the job.

"Finally," Sebastian said as he tossed the useless piece of fabric aside. Now there was nothing between them. He'd spent many nights contemplating what Kurt's cock would be like. Not that really mattered, but his expectations were happily confirmed when he saw that Kurt was just as big as he had imagined. Clothing measurements weren't the only thing Sebastian was good at guessing.

"Loving it," Sebastian said as he settled himself down beside Kurt, taking hold of his cock as they kissed. Kurt's body tensed for a second, but then Sebastian slowed his stroking and he calmed back down. He was doing amazingly well, other virgins Sebastian had done this with had come almost immediately. It wouldn't be much longer though, judging by Kurt's raspy breathing. Good thing too, because the pleasure looks Kurt was giving him were having quite the stimulating effect on him as well. Surely this new sexually adventurous side of Kurt would have no problem returning the favour.

"Wait," Kurt panted, moving Sebastian's hand away from his cock.

"Problem?" Sebastian really hoped Kurt wasn't have any second thoughts.

Kurt shook his head. "No. I was just really close to coming."

"Then why do you want to stop?"

"I want to do it with you, Sebastian," Kurt shyly replied.

"There's plenty of time for that to happen tonight. Right now, I'd love nothing more than to go back to giving you your first handjob. Once that's done we can see what else might tickle our fancy." Sebastian nibbled on Kurt's neck as he waited for his answer. He got the feeling his answer would be yes, but he still wanted some sort of confirmation from Kurt.

A few enjoyable moments passed, and then Kurt's eyes lit up with excitement after his initial embarrassment must have gone away. "That sounds like fun," Kurt said.

With that, Sebastian resumed pumping Kurt's ready cock. His own release could wait a little longer.

Sugar's finger had been inches away from touching the door bell when he heard Kurt shout out 'Sebastian, fuck!' from within and she fliched her hand away. It was pretty easy to tell what was going on inside, what with how frantic Kurt had sounded. Just to be sure, Sugar brought her ear to the door and she heard was could only be cries of ecstasy coming from both Sebastian and Kurt.

"Good for them," Sugar said, smiling with approval.

No amount of curiosity would have made Sugar stick around, so she skipped back down the stairs. Just knowing that the boys must be pretty loud in the sac for their voices to carry like that was enough to pacify her for now. Hopefully she could pry a few juicy details from Sebastian tomorrow too.

Sugar had every intention to leave, but when she reached the bottom of the stairs she found the last person she'd expect to run into standing there.

"Sugar?"

"Blaine! What are you even doing here?" Sugar shouted, but she quickly calmed herself down. She'd never forgive herself if her tendency to be loud interrupted her friends special night, and she sure wasn't going to let Blaine do that either. Sugar stormed up to Blaine and grabbed onto the collar of his polo shirt, dragging him to a safer distance. "Start talking," she ordered once she was sure they were out of earshot.

"I came to talk to Kurt. I went to your place and ran into Puck, and he told me Kurt's been staying here," Blaine explained.

"Now is not the best time, Blaine!" Sugar hissed, but when Blaine ignored her warning and tried to get past her, Sugar let her fierce protective side out. She rushed in front of her former friend and held her arms out in front of him. "You can't go in there! You'll interrupt them!"

But Blaine wasn't following, at least not at first, and he frowned at Sugar in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Sugar rolled his eyes. "Oh come on Blaine, you can't be that dense. Think about it for a second."

A light went on in Blaine's brain and he reeled back in embarrased horror. "Do you mean Kurt and his boyfriend are having sex in there? Right at this second?"

"That's what it sure sounds like to me," Sugar began. "Not that I was listening! I was going to drop by for a visit but I heard them…" She shook her head; why was she bothering to explain her actions to Blaine? "It doesn't matter; you and I are leaving, Blaine! _Now_!"

Blaine looked at her and then the door a short distance away. "But…"

"No buts, Blaine, this clearly isn't a good time. If you promise to leave Kurt alone for at least tonight then you and I can talk for a bit." Sugar didn't want to share any details about Kurt's personal life without his consent, but she knew Blaine, and how he wouldn't leave things be until he learned something. Even when Sugar and he hadn't parted on good terms, she knew Blaine only had Kurt's best interests at heart. His timing was just off.

As they headed off, it suddenly dawned on Sugar that Blaine had asked if Kurt was with his boyfriend. "Did Puck tell you that Kurt's gay?" She couldn't see Noah doing that, or at least not on purpose.

Blaine nodded as Sugar pulled him along down the road. "Yes, but it was an accident."

"Look Blaine, I know you're worried about Kurt, but it's not like you two were friends or anything," Sugar pointed out.

"I know. I'm not proud of it either. But Kurt said he would get back to me, and when he didn't, I guess my mind started going places. I want to know the truth, ideally from Kurt, but I'll take what I can get at this point."

Sugar had a location in mind as they raced along. Close to Puck's place was a back alley where the three of them used to hang out back when they were still friends. She directed Blaine to rest his back against the chain link fence and she stole one of the discarded milk crates to sit on.

"Were you surprised to learn that Kurt is gay?"

"Yes, but that was mostly due to the circumstances of how I found out. If Kurt had just taken me aside and told me, I would have reacted differently. Or I like to think I would have, not that it matters now. It doesn't change anything now that I know, and I'll of course keep it a secret if that's what Kurt wants."

It was hard for Sugar to act aloof with Blaine; being with him reminded her how much she had missed his company. She loved Puck and knew she'd made the right choice, but she still cared about Blaine, much to her annoyance.

"Kurt got into an argument with his mom, and one thing led to another and Kurt left home," Sugar said.

"That still doesn't explain why he hasn't come to school. Unless his parents cut off his money for tuition?"

"It's more like the opposite actually, when Kurt told his mom he was dropping out… things escalated."

Blaine slumped against the fence and ran a hand through his hair. "All right then. I'm glad it was his choice." He pushed himself away from the fence and began to pace back in forth. Blaine often did this when he was deep in thought. "I should go, I've over-stepped enough as it is." He started down the road, only to stop and turn back and look at Sugar.

"I know it's too late to make up all the pain I've caused you and Puck. But for what it's worth, I am sorry, Sugar," Blaine said with a weak smile.

"I believe your sincerity, but that doesn't mean I'm ready to forgive you yet, Blaine." She saw his face fall and Sugar knew she couldn't leave things like that. "Thank you for saying that though."

Blaine gave her a small nod in acknowledgement and resumed his departure. "Can you do me a favour and ask Kurt to send me a text or something at some point. I'd still like to touch base with him."

"I'll tell him. But I'm not making any promises. That's Kurt's call," Sugar called back and Blaine waved at her in thanks. She watched Blaine's figure walk along and disappeared around the corner. As soon as he was safely out of sight she let out a tired sigh.

"What a night," Sugar muttered. She wished she could follow Kurt's lead and spend her the evening having hot sex with her boyfriend, except she wasn't in the best emotional state for that right now. Since Puck had encountered Blaine tonight as well there was a good chance he wouldn't be up for it either.

At least Kurt's night of fun wasn't ruined, and that silver lining was enough to pick herself up and head for home.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

"Man that was good," Kurt breathed, his eyes still gleaming from the afterglow of his orgasm.

"You don't have to tell me; I was there." Sebastian propped himself up on his side just in time to see Kurt roll his eyes. "Hearing you swearing and shouting my name was a huge turn on."

"Yeah I could tell, your cock rubbing against my ass wasn't exactly subtle, Sebastian."

Although Kurt's subsequent hand job had lacked ingenuity, he'd still snapped into action and finished Sebastian off without any hesitation.

While reaching release had felt good at the time, Sebastian was hungry for more, and as soon as he was physically able to, he knew exactly how to deal with that need. But as much as Sebastian's active libido was up for it, his cock still wasn't there yet. He spent the wait cuddling up with Kurt and using ridiculous pick up lines to keep him amused. Their flirty words eventually led to dirty talk, which helped turn the sexual heat back on.

The timing now perfect, Sebastian advanced on Kurt without any warming, kissing him deeply to help accelerate things. The results were instantaneous; Kurt aggressively kissed him back and with so much passion he ended up surpassing Sebastian's wildest expectations!

"I love it when you get all hot and bothered," Sebastian muttered under his breath.

Watching Kurt just throw caution (or rather control) to the wind and go for it was the best thing ever; or almost: sex was still the be-all end-all for him (as it should be).

"Sebastian," Kurt murmured softly, stroking Sebastian's back as they made out.

"You're so hot," Sebastian whispered. "I can't get enough of you."

Sebastian pushed himself up enough to half hover over Kurt, drinking in his raw beauty before nestling down to stroke his boyfriend's chest. He began to suck on Kurt's collarbone, leaving a row of little red marks.

He was tempted to playfully ask if Kurt was ready for more, but all it took was to brush his hand against Kurt's hardening cock to feel the evidence for himself. Ah, the endurance of youth, and since he and Kurt were the same age, Sebastian was in a similar state of arousal.

"Any idea what you want to try next?" Kurt asked all of sudden, just when Sebastian was about pay proper attention to his boyfriend's lower regions.

"Tons, but there is one thing I'm leaning towards right now," Sebastian said.

Before Kurt could ask him what that thing could be, Sebastian settled himself over Kurt and dipped his hips downwards. First he kissed Kurt hard on the mouth to start a passionate makeout session. Sebastian lowered himself down to lie beside Kurt, who arched his back to give his boyfriend the perfect angle to start kissing his neck.

All he needed was to decide how he should make his intentions known. Sebastian pulled his face back for a moment, waiting for Kurt to make eye contact with him so that he knew for sure he had Kurt's full attention. His boyfriend scowled at him, clearly annoyed to be cut off so suddenly. Sebastian suppressed a chuckle; Kurt looked so ridiculously adorable at that moment.

"I want you to fuck me, Kurt," Sebastian said without warning, using good old fashioned bluntness as a time saver.

Kurt blinked at Sebastian and in his startlement, he jolted up on the bed to stare at him. "Wait!" he muttered. "You want _me_... to fuck _you_?"

"That is what I just said. Problem?" Sebastian asked.

"No! Not at all." Kurt stopped vigorously shaking his head. Somehow his new dumbfounded expression-complete with wide blinking eyes and gaping mouth-looked even cuter than the one he had a minute ago. "I just... didn't expect you to ask me that."

Sebastian rolled his eyes, albeit playfully, to keep the mood light and fun as possible. Above all, he wanted Kurt to enjoy himself, and to do that, he needed to keep his boyfriend's nerves at bay. Luckily for him, Sebastian knew all the sexual tricks of the trade, and was only too happy to share that knowledge.

"I do want to fuck you too, Kurt, as long as you're up for it. I just thought you might like to be the one to top first, as a way to ease you into the whole thing." Sebastian brought his hand down to slowly stroke Kurt's cock to keep it from growing too soft. "Honestly, I like it both ways, and I've never felt the need to label myself when it comes to sex."

Any inner conflicts Kurt might have had didn't last very long, and he quickly grinned at Sebastian and suddenly pinned him down on the bed. "I guess I could take a stab at it then," Kurt said with a smirk.

There was no way that Sebastian could have hidden his delight over Kurt's brilliantly placed pun (and there was no point to either). He loved his boyfriend's sharp wit and adored whenever he had a really good comeback, especially during flirty banter; it kept him on his toes. So few people could go against him in that respect, and few had dared to try. It had been so boring for him. But this time, Kurt's double entendre sent Sebastian over the edge and into near hysterical fits laughter.

"You're amazing," he gushed, pulling Kurt down to lie on top of him. Then, after he gave Kurt a few thrilling kisses, he rolled them both over so their positions were reversed. With love in his eyes, Sebastian gazed down at Kurt, completely smitten and overcome with joy that this wonderful man had come into his life.

The last time Sebastian had bottomed for anyone had been over five months ago; more often than not he just fucked guys into mattresses, walls or various other surfaces. In most cases, either Sebastian didn't trust his sex partners enough to bottom for them, or they didn't even bother to ask Sebastian which position he'd prefer. So it felt freeing that Kurt had jumped on board so easily after hearing his boyfriend's wishes.

Kurt stopped kissing Sebastian for a moment so he could get a word in. "I really want to do this, but I'm going to need you to help me along in some areas. I mean, I know where everything is suppose to go…" he paused and let out an awkward groan. "Oh, that's the most unsexy thing I've ever said!"

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Kurt," Sebastian said, smirking at his boyfriend until he cracked a weak smile. "There's honestly not much to it; just take your time, ask when you're unsure about anything and simply follow my lead. I have complete faith in you, but yeah, I'll show you the ropes, Kurt. Just let me go grab the supplies and we'll be set."

"Okay," Kurt replied in a cute little voice, lashes fluttering as he followed Sebastian's movements with his eyes.

Fortunately, Sebastian had learned long ago to keep his stash of condoms and lube close at hand, so his trip to fetch them lasted only a couple of seconds. Before either of them could miss one another, Sebastian was back on the bed and at Kurt's side, giddy with excitement, and grinning from ear to ear. Kurt grabbed for him before Sebastian's butt touched the mattress, and he wasted no time to initiate a passionate make out session. The heat between them rose soon after that, and it was the same for Kurt's erection, which was poking into Sebastian's thigh as they rolled around the bed together.

Sebastian untangled his legs from Kurt's so he could pay proper attention to Kurt's cock, dragging his thumb across the tip. The action made Kurt buck his hips forward and his subsequent moan was so sensual it was hard for Sebastian not just to pounce on him. Sebastian held himself back somehow though, reminding himself that he wanted to be there for Kurt, to make him feel good, and feel comfortable enough to want to try all sorts of things.

"You're going to need to finger me, Kurt, so I can take you in all of your well endowed glory," Sebastian explained, cracking a cheeky grin. Was he imagining things or had Kurt's skin suddenly turned a deeper shade of pink? Fuck he was so god damn hot. Sebastian's ability to turn men on had taken him years to cultivate. Not Kurt though, no, he showed every sign of being a natural! Sebastian was one lucky guy!

"I can do that," Kurt replied; his voice dripped with seduction and oozed confidence. A far cry from the standoffish man Kurt had been when they had first crossed paths.

Sebastian was just about to lay back down on the bed when Kurt touched his arm to gently stop him. Intrigued, Sebastian tilted his head to the side in puzzlement; he didn't know what Kurt had in mind, but he was pretty sure he'd enjoy it.

"Could you finger me first? To show me how it's done?"

"Sure, babe." It made total sense to Sebastian that Kurt would ask him that (words could only take a person so far after all). He kissed his boyfriend on the forehead and then guided him to lay his back against the mattress. Sebastian pondered how he should go about things and decided that Kurt should lay on his stomach. "I'll try to teach you without making you come." It wouldn't be too hard for him to, as long as he avoided stimulating Kurt's prostate too much.

Once Sebastian had Kurt roll over onto his stomach, he ran his hands down his boyfriend's spine, kissing the dip between the small of his back and buttocks.

"Try not to worry about it if you do end up coming though."

Kurt craned his head back to narrow his eyes at Sebastian. "I thought you said you had total faith in me?"

Sebastian knew better than to walk into such an easy setup, so he went back decorating Kurt's lower back with butterfly kisses. It wasn't long before his hands found their way to the curve of Kurt's behind. "You have such a sweet ass, have I ever told you that?" Sebastian asked as he spent a moment admiring it.

"A few times, yes," Kurt answered dryly, laying his head on his folded arms like a pillow.

"So the most important thing to remember Kurt, is to keep your partner relaxed as possible when you start fingering him." Sebastian cupped each of Kurt's ass cheeks in his hand and parted them to reveal his entrance. "Pay attention to their reactions to see what works and what doesn't. " From Kurt's relaxed position, and his cute little glances, Sebastian knew that Kurt was ready for things to start, but he still made sure his touch was as gentle as possible as he stroked the ring of puckered muscle in little circular motions.

"Now since this is your first time…" It suddenly dawned on Sebastian that Kurt could have fingered himself prior to now, so he added, "I'm assuming?" Sebastian watched as Kurt raised his head briefly to nod at him.

"All right then, I'll be sure to take it nice and slow, so you can get used to the stretch."

Past memories flooded Sebastian's brain as he fumbled to open the tube of lube. "You'll want to let the lube warm up before applying any, or else you-or your partner-could get a cold shock."Sebastian was exaggerating, but his claims weren't that far off. He noticed how he kept using the word partner, which was kind of silly, since it wasn't like Kurt was going to try this stuff on anyone other than him. But directly referring to himself sounded so odd in his head, that he couldn't bring himself to do it.

"Good to know," Kurt said.

After Sebastian rubbed his fingers enough to warm the lube he'd squeezed onto his hand, he went back to stroking Kurt's entrance. The only sound the contact brought was Kurt's soft moans of pleasure.

He straightened himself up and stretched his body so he could lightly kiss Kurt's shoulder blades as he slowly eased the tip of his finger inside of Kurt. The slight penetration wasn't enough to make Kurt's reaction to the intrusion very significant, but his body still tensed up slightly. Almost on instinct, Sebastian stopped what he was doing to allow Kurt's body time to relax and get used to the new sensation.

"I'll start to move my finger as soon as you're ready, Kurt," Sebastian said.

"I'm good, you can start now." The urgency in Kurt's voice was all the convincing Sebastian needed to continue his lesson.

He withdrew his finger slightly and then pressed it back in until he was knuckle deep. Sebastian began to work a slow rhythm, pumping his finger in and out of Kurt. It was proving almost impossible for him to ignore his own throbbing cock, especially when the noises Kurt made were turning him on. _'Just focus on Kurt for now,'_ Sebastian instructed himself. _'My turn will happen soon enough.'_

Time seemed to inch by, and while it was slow goings at first, Kurt responded to everything Sebastian did to him. He even ended up asking a few questions along the way, and all of them were on point.

"I'm ready to put what I've learned to the test," Kurt said a short while later.

Sebastian grinned at his boyfriend playfully; he was glad to note that Kurt hadn't said he _thought_ he was ready, but knew he was. That was the exact sort of thing Sebastian wanted to happen when they finally started having sex.

They switched positions, except Sebastian rolled onto his back and quickly explained that he wanted to see Kurt properly as he fingered him. That confession definitely made Kurt blush bright crimson but he powered through his initial embarrassment with little difficulty.

Kurt couldn't pull the wool over Sebastian's eyes though, at least not completely. There were still clues that revealed how nervous he felt. Little moments, like when Kurt gulped down the catch in his throat, or when his eyes shifted back and forth. He wondered what Kurt was thinking; was he coaching himself in his mind? Should Sebastian do the same? Before he could consider his options for any longer, Kurt pulled him in for a long, passionate kiss. Fireworks erupted in Sebastian's brain, and all manner of thought-save for basic motor functions-were shut off with the click of a metaphorical switch.

"Touch me, Kurt," Sebastian urged, whispering sweet nothings into his boyfriend's ear.

Kurt grinned. "With pleasure." He looked down Sebastian's body, legs spread and ready for him. It was almost too much for Kurt's excited heart to take. The need on Sebastian's face was so real, and so raw, and Kurt was powerless to resist it. Fortunately, Kurt had no intentions to even try to fight that invisible force.

"Sebastian," Kurt breathed, his boyfriend's name rolling off the tongue like a lover's caress. He was so stunning, Kurt couldn't see why everyone kept going on about how he was so gorgeous whenever Sebastian was in the same room! This wasn't Kurt doubting his own appeal either, he just thought that Sebastian was _so_ breathtaking that everyone else (himself included) dulled in comparison.

"I'm right here, babe." Sebastian hands combed through Kurt's hair as he aggressively kissed his neck and shoulder.

'_Sebastian wants this, and so do I. He's right here with me and ripe for the taking,'_ Kurt thought as he met Sebastian's frantic pace. He didn't have enough fingers to pay proper tribute to Sebastian's deliciously naked body. It almost alarmed him how possessive he was acting. Except he loved that feeling, and he didn't need to ask Sebastian to know that it was the same for him. Sebastian was _his_. There might have been countless other men who had slept with Sebastian before him, but Kurt was the first one who he was being truly intimate with, because Sebastian trusted him.

The mutual trust between them, combined with their matched physical yearning for one another, propelled Kurt forward. He took a deep breath as he coated his fingers with lube and tried to remember everything Sebastian had done to him. It took a few feeble attempts but soon Kurt's confidence kicked in and his efforts were rewarded when he heard Sebastian's loud sensual moans.

Kurt hadn't considered how good fingering Sebastian would feel for him; how just knowing that he was the reason for Sebastian's pleasure would prove to be wildly addictive. It gave Kurt a sense of power he'd never experienced before.

"Fuck! That's it! Add another finger, babe. I need to feel more of you. Get me nice and ready for your cock. Mmm! I can't wait!" Sebastian panted, snapping his hips in time with Kurt's forward thrusts.

_'You're not the only one,'_ Kurt thought. He sure hoped that it wouldn't be much longer until Sebastian was ready for his cock to take over. But before he could tease his boyfriend by asking him to hurry it up, Sebastian arched himself upright so he could capture Kurt's lips with his own.

As he distracted Kurt with his mouth, Sebastian's hands found the roll of condoms and tore one off, opening the package. "You did good, babe, I'm nice and ready for you now." Sebastian actually licked his lips in anticipation.

Kurt's heart hammered in his chest; this was it, there was nothing left to do but align their bodies to get the right angle. As soon as Kurt reached for Sebastian, his boyfriend guided them both backwards onto the bed. Sebastian cupped Kurt's jaw line with his hand, running his thumb along his bottom lip.

"Love you," Sebastian cooed, his voice breaking from the urgency he surely felt.

With knees bent, Kurt grabbed onto Sebastian's hips and pulled him close and Sebastian hooked his legs over to rest on either side of him. The tip of Kurt's cock was pressed against Sebastian's entrance and he pushed forward enough to slip inside. The tightness he was met with was more than Kurt could have anticipated. Somehow he powered through the pleasure to push against Sebastian, who helped Kurt along by adding his own weight.

"Oh, my god, Sebastian, this feels… you feel… wow," Kurt sputtered off, unable to form a proper sentence. "I'm not hurting you, am I?" Kurt should have gone slower, but Sebastian hadn't asked him to stop.

"No, I'm good. Really good. Fucking amazing actually. Loving the stretch of you, babe," Sebastian replied, reaching out to brush Kurt's stomach with the tips of his fingers. From this position, with Sebastian lying with back on the bed, Kurt was unable to kiss him, and he was having none of that. Kurt swifted his weight a little-making sure not to hurt Sebastian as he moved- and leaned forward so he could kiss his boyfriend hard on the mouth.

Sebastian arched his legs up and spread them to give Kurt more access. "I'm doing fine Kurt, you can start moving." Sebastian let out a sharp gasp when Kurt responded, running his hands down Kurt's back. "Need to feel you…"

That was all the encouragement Kurt needed and he pulled out of Sebastian until only the tip of his cock remained inside. He wasted no time pushing forward to fill his boyfriend back up again. His arms were tucked beneath Sebastian's, planted beside him on the bed to add the leverage needed to get the right amount of thrust. Sebastian's hands were in Kurt's hair, lightly grasping as they struck up the right rhythm.

No wonder anal was so popular among gay men, the tight feeling of Sebastian's ass clenched around his cock was incredible. He didn't know how he was keeping himself from coming at this point; it felt so fucking good!

"If you feel yourself getting too close then feel free to slow it down. If you can that is." Sebastian's words weren't meant to make Kurt feel bad he realized, even if the fear of finishing too fast was quite real in his mind.

Kurt distracted himself by kissing Sebastian with tongue and savoured the familiar sensation. It didn't end up working that much though; Kurt was unable to ignore his throbbing cock. It wouldn't be long now, if only he could tell how far along Sebastian was.

"You're pretty damn good at this Kurt, are you sure this is your first time?" Sebastian teased.

"Oh believe me, this is very new. In fact, are you anywhere close to coming? Because I dunno if can hold on for much longer."

"Do I really feel that good?"

Of course Sebastian would act like his typical smug self even during sex. Kurt would have rolled his eyes if he weren't so busy keeping himself away from edge of release. "You know the answer to that already!"

Sebastian didn't give any sort of comeback this time, which Kurt hoped meant that Sebastian was reaching his limit too. Just to be safe, he brought his right hand to take hold of his boyfriend's rock hard cock and began to frantically pump it.

The effort seemed to do the trick; Sebastian wrapped his legs around Kurt's back, and crossed his ankles together, giving Kurt even deeper access. It was enough for Kurt's vision to blur and he swore loudly under his breath. That was it then, he would just have to finish Sebastian off with his hand once he came-which should happen at any second now.

"I'm so close! I'm sorry you're not-" Kurt stuttered, a shockwave of pleasure cutting his words short.

"Just come, Kurt. You've lasted long enough!" Sebastian pushed back on Kurt's chest so their heads were a few inches apart. He stroked the side of his face and smiled at him.

"Sebastian!" Kurt shouted, his body going into spasm as heat collected in the pit of his stomach.

His breaths grew raspy and he managed to snap his hips forward one last time as he came, sharp and hard, and Kurt felt himself spiralling, down and down, as the pleasure rushed through him. He pulled out of Sebastian and panted hard. Kurt wanted to just collapse on top of Sebastian, but he couldn't let himself do that just yet. Instead he resumed pumping Sebastian's cock with his hand and used the other to finger Sebastian at the same time.

All of a sudden Sebastian grabbed onto Kurt's forearms, digging his fingernails into Kurt's skin.

"Shit! Here we go!" Sebastian blurted. "Fuck yes!"

"It's about time!" Spurts of come shot into Kurt's hand and he milked Sebastian's cock for all its worth.

Sebastian was the one to take care of Kurt's condom, tossing into the trashcan near the side of the bed. "I say we hit the showers next."

Kurt merely nodded; his mind wasn't in fully working order yet, but then, he had just experienced the best orgasm of his life so far. He certainly would welcome a quick rinse off, so he forced himself out of bed. Sebastian sweetly led him by the hand through the opened bathroom door. After turning on the water and waiting until it was warm enough, he gestured with his hands for Kurt to go first. Sebastian joined him a minute later, and since he didn't try any funny business, their shower was soon over with.

Sebastian handed Kurt a fresh towel once he stepped out of the shower after him. "So anal sex, was it everything you expected it to be?"

At first Kurt just towelled himself dry as he pondered the idea. "I really didn't have much of an opinion about it to begin with. At least when it comes to topping…" Kurt followed Sebastian back to the bed and lay back down so they could snuggle together.

"If you end up preferring to be the bottom once you try it, that's totally fine you know. Just because I don't have any preference doesn't mean you can't."

Kurt kissed Sebastian tenderly and let out a soft sigh. "I doubt I'll be able to know one way or another for a while. I'll need to do both a lot to even see if I'll prefer one to the other." Why were they even talking about this? "That's not what I mean though, going back to your original question."

"My apologies then, finally having sex again has clouded my ability to process thought," Sebastian drawled, dramatically placing his hand against his forehead. His act was hardly convincing, but Kurt still decided to give him a consoling peck on the lips.

"Before I met you, I wasn't interested enough in sex to have formed a real opinion about it. I was too busy focusing on pleasing everyone else that my own pleasure rarely entered my mind," Kurt said.

"There had to be times that you rode the alone train though." Sebastian's wiggling eyes showed what he thought Kurt's answer would be.

"Yeah there were, but not as often as most boys my age probably did. I usually only bothered when I woke up hard after having some racy dream. Though after I met you, dreams like that became far more frequent-much to my annoyance." Kurt wasn't about to give Sebastian any sort of number count; no matter what he might be imagining.

"But that part of my life is behind me now. I no longer want to remain naively ignorant. I want to have sex with you Sebastian, I want to learn and do it all." Kurt got up on his hands and knees and crawled towards Sebastian and placed his hand on the back of his neck, pulling him in for a long kiss. When that first kiss ended, Kurt settled himself on Sebastian's lap as they began to heavily make out. He felt Sebastian slide his hands around waist, holding him tightly, unwilling to let go. Kurt's demanding mouth opened Sebastian's and it was hard for Kurt to accept how well the two of them fit together. They were so in sync, it was almost as if they were of one mind and body.

"Can you tell what I'm wanting right now?" Kurt asked, his voice a throaty growl.

"My cock in your sweet ass?" Sebastian guessed.

"What, no beautifully poetic words this time?"

"It's all about timing Kurt, which is the same for sex, now that I think about it." Sebastian nuzzled his forehead against the side of Kurt's neck. His hands gently massaged Kurt's ass cheeks; it was very distracting. "You still haven't confirmed or denied if my guess was right."

Kurt chose to respond by moving himself up and down on Sebastian's lap, making sure that their groins rubbed together. He went back to kissing Sebastian's inviting lips, using the action as a way to show just how demanding he could be when it came to sex. He got the feeling that from now on it would be very hard to remain focused on other things. Thank goodness he had dropped out from school already, or else he would have surely flunked every single one of his classes come the end of the term.

"I should finger you again," Sebastian said in between their fevered kisses.

"You're the expert," teased Kurt, who really had no problem with that idea. Sebastian dropped one of his hands off of Kurt's waist so he could grab the tube of lube on the bed beside them. Kurt heard the cap snap open and he steadied himself as Sebastian used both of his hands to coat three of his fingers. Sebastian's arms were still looped through his own and pressed against his sides; the perfect angle to keep kissing as Sebastian got the preparations under way.

"You okay to take my fingers like this or would you prefer to do it lying down like before?"

Kurt thought about it for a minute. "I'm pretty comfy with how we are right now. I'll let you know if I want to change positions once you get started though."

"Sounds good to me. This is actually an ideal position for you to bottom too. It gives you a lot of control for how much you want to take in and at what speed." Sebastian started with a few teasing strokes to Kurt's ass and then brought his fingers to the key spot. He kept his eyes glued to Kurt's face as he inserted one finger, grinning when Kurt was unable to hide the pleasure it brought.

The burn from being stretched was barely there this time, which Kurt was relieved to discover. Not that Sebastian had caused him any sort of pain the first time he'd fingered him; it just meant that when his boyfriend's fingers were replaced with his cock, Kurt would be ready for him.

But Kurt wasn't going to let his performance be affected by the fact he was about to lose his virginity (bottoming anyway). Just before Kurt's thoughts risked getting away from him, Sebastian added a second finger and Kurt gasped with surprise. He leaned forward to rest his forehead in the dip between Sebastian's neck and shoulder. It felt so good, but he wanted more; Sebastian's fingers weren't enough.

"I can't wait any longer, I need you! Need your big thick cock." Oh god, what was he even saying? Talking sexy, when Kurt was having a hard enough time keeping himself together as it was, turned out to be quite a challenge for him.

"That eager huh." There was that cocky tone of Sebastian's again; Kurt could never escape it. Though at the moment, Kurt was willing to put up with this side of his boyfriend. Sex was one the few places where Sebastian's overdeveloped ego could be put to good use.

"Just put the condom on and fuck me before I see to my own needs." Kurt's threat was a total bluff and they both knew it, but Sebastian still acted as if his chance to top was on the line.

Kurt grinned back at Sebastian when he winked at him and took control of things. He allowed Sebastian to position them, until Kurt's was hovering a few inches above his ready cock. They shared a glance of understanding and Kurt began to lower himself downwards, guided by Sebastian's strong arms on his hips. A sudden rush of nerves hit Kurt, but Sebastian, who must have seen the unease in his eyes, kissed Kurt on the cheek and whispered that everything was going to be okay.

There was no place Kurt would rather be, no one else he would dream of sharing this experience with. Sebastian was everything to him, and the patience he was showing, when Sebastian had to be crazed with need, showed just how much he cared in turn.

Kurt put his fears aside and slid downwards, closing the gap between their bodies until the tip of Sebastian's cock pushed inside. It felt different from when Sebastian had fingered him (obviously); Sebastian's cock felt so hot and hard as he lowered himself down. He took his time, and Sebastian made no attempts to move things along. Kurt inhaled deeply, sinking down a bit more and he felt a dull burning in his ass.

"Feeling okay?" Sebastian asked; he sounded so concerned, it was quite touching.

He forced himself to relax and get used to the sensation of feeling so full and stretched. With Sebastian's cock just past halfway inside him now it wouldn't take much effort to take him to the hilt. So Kurt just went for it and pushed himself down on Sebastian's cock without any warning.

"Holy shit!" Sebastian shouted in surprise. "Now that's what I'm talking about."

So much for worrying that Kurt had taken a step too far then. Sebastian's face was lit up and wild. Once again he didn't do anything, instead he appeared to be enjoying the moment and letting Kurt set the pace. Kurt still felt a bit of pain, but he'd expected it and it was nothing in comparison to the pleasure coursing through him. Now was the time to swear, he realized.

"You feel fucking amazing, Sebastian," Kurt said, panting.

"This is just the beginning babe, wait until you're ready to start moving. That's when it really gets…." It seemed impossible, but Sebastian appeared to be at a loss for words. "..._interesting_," he finally went with.

"Then let's cut the chatter and get to it," Kurt urged.

Sebastian laughed, "That's my snarky boyfriend." He still waited until Kurt made the first move, but as soon as he pulled upwards and partially withdrew from him, Sebastian thrust his hips upwards right when Kurt came back down. The moment when their bodies collided was so good that Kurt almost couldn't take it.

A couple of following thrusts and Kurt was starting to get the hang of things; Sebastian was finally beginning to participate too (though he seemed content to let Kurt call the shots still).

Kurt used this freedom to test the waters a bit and tried a different things array of things. He sucked on Sebastian's neck while he rotated his hips for a spell. But when Kurt went so far as to push Sebastian down on the bed so he could ride him, that's when things got really interesting.

"You are so fucking tight!" Sebastian muttered as Kurt used his strong thigh muscles to inch them towards release. Kurt's cock bobbed up and down as he rode his boyfriend for all his worth, using every ounce strength left in him.

Kurt knew he was going to pay for it in the morning, but fuck that, he couldn't stop himself. Neither could Sebastian, who was thrusting upwards to help them along. Kurt and Sebastian grunted together, completely swept up in the pleasure they were experiencing.

"So close, babe," Sebastian whined under the strain. "Please tell me that you are too."

"Yeah, yeah," Kurt panted, rocking himself on Sebastian. "Not much longer." It was too much, Kurt body couldn't hold this much pleasure. The heat within him was becoming unbearable. He couldn't tell if he was about to come, blackout, or maybe even die at this rate!

Kurt suddenly felt Sebastian body tense up from underneath him as he came, and that was the final push. Kurt fell off the cliff of orgasm, his cock twitching as it shot come onto Sebastian's heaving stomach.

Totally wrung out, Kurt let his body go slack and he collapsed onto his boyfriend, resting his head on his chest. He could hear the heavy pounding of Sebastian's heart against his ear. He took a deep breath, held it and let it out slowly. He didn't even care that Sebastian hadn't bothered to pull out yet. He was content to remain together like this for a moment longer so they could take a quick breather.

When it became clear that Sebastian was in an equally tired state, Kurt forced his body to move so he could roll off of him. This time Kurt was the one who looked after the used condom, but he didn't bother to clean his come off of Sebastian's chest just yet. His boyfriend didn't seem to mind this, or he was simply to weak to worry about it.

Kurt knew the feeling. The sudden emptiness he felt in his ass was quite distracting, and left a dull ache. Which was something he hadn't anticipated. But he knew that there was no hope of going again. Kurt was too sore for one thing, and tired, and really, considering this was their first night together, they had done themselves proud.

"I've never found you more beautiful than right now, Kurt," Sebastian said with awe.

Kurt couldn't see his boyfriend's expression from his spot resting on his chest, but he didn't need to. The love in his voice said it all. And while Kurt did not agree (he didn't need a mirror to know he was a total wreck), he was too happily sated to argue about it.

"You seem different somehow," Sebastian continued.

"And I thought you would be last person to believe that having sex would somehow change a person." Kurt wasn't putting much effort into his teasing; he was just being playful for the fun of it.

"I didn't, until right now that is. I can't put my finger on it…" But Sebastian did place his finger on Kurt's lips. "...it feels like you've changed somehow. At least to me."

"Well, aside from what I'm feeling physically, I don't feel like I've changed all that much. I mean, I'm happy, but it's not like finally having sex turned me a different person all of a sudden." Kurt kissed Sebastian's cheek and scooted upwards on the bed until their faces were directly parallel with one another.

Sebastian shifted on his side so he could look Kurt in the eye. "Maybe I'm the one who's changed then." He trailed his finger along Kurt's jaw line.

"Maybe," Kurt agreed. "In my case, I think being intimate with you brought forth a side of me I used to suppress."

"I always knew you had to have an inner sex kitten in you somewhere, Kurt."

"Careful," Kurt warned as he poked Sebastian in the ribs. "I may be a kitten but I still have claws." That had sounded a lot better in his head, but screw it, Kurt was in too good of a mood right now to care.

Sebastian snickered a bit, but didn't torture Kurt about his awkward metaphor. "I hope you're not expecting any more out of me tonight." He sounded almost disappointed at having to admit this to Kurt.

"Oh, god no. I've definitely reached my limit. Three times is pretty good right? In the great span of things."

"I've done it more times in one sitting, but none of those past times can compare to what's it's like when I'm with you, Kurt."

"So quality over quantity then?"

Sebastian laughed, "Pretty much."

"I'll take it," Kurt replied, snuggling up to Sebastian. "I might not have the energy to do anything else sexual tonight, but I'm not feeling all that sleepy yet. Are you up for some pillow talk?"

"Why not. Any idea what you wanna discuss while we laze here on the bed together?"

There was one topic that Kurt was curious to hear about it and he couldn't think of a more perfect time to bring it up. He spent a quiet moment decorating Sebastian's lips with lazy little kisses though before he got to asking it though. "When was your first time?" Kurt noticed Sebastian frown at him, so he added, "As in, the first time you touched a cock that wasn't your own-or visa versa-whichever one came first."

"How much detail would you like me to give you? I hate to ruin our lovely night together by accidently making you feel jealous." Sebastian reached over to the pick up the damp hand towel he'd brought from the bathroom to start cleaning the come off of their bodies and the bed.

"I'll be fine. I'm not going to shatter into a million pieces over the fact that you've had sex with other men."

"I was fifteen when I gave my first handjob to another guy," Sebastian said.

Kurt was surprised to hear this; he had always imagined Sebastian had been a lot younger, around thirteen or forteen. But when he stopped to think about it, fifteen wasn't that much older, even if plenty of teens experienced sex at a similar age.

"And then he gave me one shortly after, though his handiwork was pretty shoddy. He was your typical virgin type… clueless and ill prepared for the job." Sebastian paused to kiss Kurt's hand. "Before you ask; your hand job was above par-in spite of your lack of experience."

"Was this virgin your own age?" It didn't matter if he had been older, Kurt was just curious to know how he and Sebastian had come together.

"He was some random guy from school. I think he was a grade above me. I didn't even know he was gay until he came on to me one day when no one was around to overhear. I got a lot of action like that actually, especially before I got kicked out of boarding school."

"I know I'm acting like I'm okay, but do I want to hear that story?"

Sebastian let out a throaty laugh and hugged Kurt's waist. "I got kicked out on purpose, I hated the stuffy atmosphere and all of the selfish entitlement going on. I decided that if my parents wanted to dump their responsibility for me on someone else-no doubt so they could be blamed if I got into trouble-then I would at least get to choose the school. So I had them transfer me to a public school and soon made my mark on the gay populace there."

"I can't even begin to imagine what that must have been like. No one was out when I was in high school." Kurt almost wished that he and Sebastian had gone to the same school, but for all he knew, they might have hated one another.

"I'm not gonna lie, it was pretty sweet most of the time. I got more action during my stay at boarding school, but that's only because we had more opportunity there. My time in public school wasn't that worse off though, and I quickly came to value the importance of blackmail. It kept me from being beaten up by the bullies, that's for sure."

"So with all that action coming your way, I imagine you tried anal not too long after getting your first taste of cock?"

Sebastian choked back a laugh; apparently delighted at his boyfriend's lewdness. "Nope. I fucked my first guy at the ripe age of seventeen."

"I find that hard to believe," Kurt said at first, but then he realized Sebastian had no reason to lie to him. "Why did you wait so long?"

"I had gotten a lot of offers, but I didn't feel the need to at first. I almost did when I was sixteen, but then the guy refused to use protection and that was a deal breaker for me. When it finally did happen, it was at some party. All the hetero couples were hooking up, I was bored and the beer there sucked, so I found the hottest gay guy there-wasn't much to choose from but he was pretty easy on the eyes- and we found an empty room and went for it."

"And how was it?" Kurt asked.

"Not horrible, but far from great. I topped for it and the guy barely lasted two seconds after I stuck my dick in him."

"That bad huh?"

"Meh, we lasted longer each time we did it that night. So all in all, it wasn't the worst first time in the world," Sebastian said in closing.

Kurt propped himself up on Sebastian's shoulder and smiled at him. "Well my first time was wonderful, and I have you to thank for that." He kissed Sebastian to truly show his appreciation and the couple enjoyed the lazy atmosphere as they locked lips.

"It was as much of a gift to me as it was to you, babe," Sebastian replied. As much as he was enjoying pillow talk, he kept thinking about when he could resume teaching his boyfriend about the art of making love. If Sebastian were lucky, Kurt would be up for some morning sex before they headed to the studio. He would have to be careful though, because with the show being so close, it didn't leave him much free time. _'I should try to create some sort of reward system… but I doubt Kurt would go for that,'_ he thought to himself.

He would just have to see how things went and manage his time wisely, because he really didn't want to cut himself off now that he'd finally had sex with Kurt. No way in hell. And despite his seemingly superhuman powers, Sebastian was still only human and needed sleep same as everyone else. _'I'll just have to utilize power naps whenever possible.'_

At least it wasn't a school night, so Sebastian didn't have to worry about heading off to class in the morning. With that in mind, Sebastian chatted with Kurt until they couldn't keep their eyes open anymore and they fell asleep in each other's arms.

The only real difference Kurt experienced when he woke the next day was a lingering soreness in his body (particularly in his ass). Although waking up naked in bed next to his equally nude boyfriend was also something new. But no matter what might have changed for Kurt, he still wasn't fond of mornings, so he was met with the same usual grogginess as he opened his sleepy eyes.

What had woken him wasn't the the alarm that was coming from Sebastian's phone, but the sudden movement next to him. Kurt grumbled and rolled over to discover that his boyfriend was awake and sitting on the edge of the bed.

Kurt reached out to touch Sebastian's hand before he could move away. "_No_. No bailing me," he mumbled into his pillow.

"I'll be right back, I just need to take a piss," Sebastian explained, leaning over to kiss Kurt's hair. "I never thought you could be so clingy, Kurt."

"I'm not clingy, I'm needy; there is a difference."

Sebastian rolled his eyes and pulled his arm out of Kurt's hand with little effort. "If you say so."

The temptation for Kurt to stay in bed for as long as possible was too much for him to resist. He blamed the added warmth of Sebastian's body (that was still lingering even now), and his tired muscles. He let out a deep sigh. If only there wasn't the show piece to work on, then Kurt would sleep the day away (or at least for a couple more hours). But that would never do-or that's what he kept trying to tell himself.

There was _one_ surefire way for Kurt to get himself up and ready to face the morning, and all it would require was Sebastian's return. True to his words, Sebastian was back at the bed a few minutes later, slipping under the covers so he could spoon Kurt from behind.

Kurt smiled, but when Sebastian inadvertently (he assumed, though it was hard to say for sure, knowing Sebastian) brushed his hand against Kurt's ass, he ended up flinching on reflex. That reaction made Sebastian sit up and he imagined that Sebastian was eyeing him playfully now.

"Feeling a bit tender are we?" Sebastian asked, kissing Kurt's shoulder.

"A little." Kurt decided to show Sebastian he was okay by rolling onto his back. The movement still stung a little but it wasn't anything Kurt couldn't handle and he managed not to flinch this time. He held his arms out to Sebastian, who grinned at him as he brought himself within reach. "You were very good to me last night, Sebastian."

Sebastian kissed the palm of Kurt's hand; his narrowed eyes were glued upon Kurt.

'_This must be his bedroom eyes look,'_ Kurt realized and he found that it was already working.

"Good enough that you might be up for some morning sex?" Sebastian asked in a hopeful voice. His lips trailed from Kurt's palm down his wrist and arm, stopping at inside of his elbow where Sebastian's kiss was so light it tickled Kurt's skin. "I'm totally fine to bottom again, if your ass it too sore still." He switched his attention to the other side of Kurt's arm and grazed his teeth up his bicep muscles.

Kurt shivered from the caress. Was he up for more? He wasn't feeling that tender, or it wasn't enough that Kurt thought it would affect his enjoyment. There were plenty of other things they could do aside from anal as well, and he knew Sebastian would be up for anything-as long as it ended in orgasm.

There was just one small detail that kept Kurt from giving Sebastian some saucy remark to start things off. "Do we have enough time though? Shouldn't we be heading off to the studio soon?"

"There's time enough," Sebastian said, over enunciating his words. "Not as much as I would like, but we'll make due."

"Just as long as you're sure." Kurt smirked at him; he knew exactly what Sebastian was trying to do with his teasing little kisses along his shoulders. Let Sebastian work a little for it; playing hard to get was pretty fun. Except Kurt had foolishly underestimated Sebastian's foreplay skills, because the squeak he produced when Sebastian found the sweet spot under his right ear was truly embarrassing. But Sebastian's attention was too preoccupied with teasing his boyfriend's body to taunt him about it.

"Hmm…" pondered Sebastian, who had just finished kissing Kurt along his shoulder blades. He grinned as Kurt turned himself around so they could look each other in the eye. "How should we go about this?" Sebastian pecked the corner of Kurt's mouth. "Should I have you fuck me from behind? Or should we skip anal this time and try something else, something oral perhaps? I realize that I haven't blown you yet and that's a crime too horrendous for me to commit for any longer."

Trust Sebastian to let his wishes be known in the form of a question, but this was one of the many things Kurt loved about Sebastian. "I wish I could suggest that we do both..." Kurt began. "...but I doubt we have the time."

Sebastian rolled his eyes, though his subsequent grin was one of bemusement. "There you go doubting your ability again. How will I ever break you of that silly habit?" Playing up the mock dramatics, Sebastian fell woefully back on the bed, but when he saw Kurt scowl at him in warning, he put an end to his little charade. To get back in his boyfriend's good graces, Sebastian nuzzled his face against Kurt's; his faint morning stubble scraped against Kurt, but not so much that it irritated him (or his delicate skin). Sebastian let the conversation drop for a moment so he could land a number of sizzling kisses on Kurt's lips. "Maybe getting a blow job from yours truly will help your confidence kick in…"

"I just would hate to leave you hanging when the clock runs out," Kurt said matter-of-factly.

"Let's start with the blow job then and see where that leaves us." Sebastian kept kissing Kurt, which made his hard for him to get a word in and voice his thoughts, which was probably the whole idea. "If that's all we get to do…" Sebastian didn't bother to finish his sentence and just shrugged to show his opinion on the matter.

"But what about you? What do you get out of it?" Kurt asked with a curious smile.

"I get your cock in my mouth," Sebastian replied. "Isn't that enough?"

If Sebastian was this keen on giving him a blow job, Kurt wasn't about argue about it for a second longer. It didn't take his boyfriend very long to coax Kurt's cock into an erection either, so they were both good to go.

"Who am I to deny you your heart's desire," Kurt told him.

Smug satisfaction washed over Kurt's beaming face when Sebastian choked back a barely contained laugh. Maybe he should write a book; 'A Hundred And One Comebacks: a Lover's guide' did have a nice ring to it. But such literary adventures would have to wait until he had collected more source material.

"Could you stand up for me, babe? I wanna go down on you."

The mental image of Sebastian bent on his knees in front of him, fucking him with his mouth made Kurt's cock throb with need. He bit his bottom lip as he struggled to get himself under control. He barked a barely audible 'yeah' in reply but Sebastian must had heard him, because he instantly pulled back to allow room for Kurt to push off the bed.

Kurt took a couple of clumsy steps and then steadied himself as he planted his feet firmly on the ground. The soft rug under his bare feet not only felt good but also meant that Sebastian's knees wouldn't suffer too much for his sake.

Sebastian fell to his knees with impressive grace, the movement so effortless that Kurt was filled with envy. How many times had it taken Sebastian to show this much skill? On second thought, Kurt shouldn't dwell too much on that, or his harmless envy might be replaced with unwanted jealousy. He should just revel in the fact that his boyfriend was such a pro, and anxiously await the spoils.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do this." Sebastian gently stroked Kurt's thighs for a moment while kissing Kurt's right hipbone.

Nothing good came to mind for Kurt to say in response; so much for his promising writing career then. Kurt was no match for Sebastian and his busy hands-and lips-and… suddenly Kurt felt Sebastian's mouth on his cock and his mind went blank.

"Oh-my-god!" Kurt blurted in one long winded gasp. Whatever Kurt had expected a blow job to feel like was nothing compared to the actual thing. He wasn't sure if his reaction to it would have been any less extreme if Sebastian had given him some warning.

'_Oh, who the hell cares_!' Kurt's inner voice shouted at him, once again bringing his attention back to what truly mattered. Sebastian was down on his knees and giving him a fucking blow job! Kurt's cock was in his mouth, Sebastian's tongue was darting over the tip and good lord, when he began to add suction, new waves of pleasure erupted within him. Was this where the term 'mind blowing' had come from?

Since Sebastian was too busy going down on Kurt, the only sounds in the room were Kurt's muttered sobs and moans of pleasure. Every now and then he glanced up at Kurt, just to rub it in-or that was what it looked like to Kurt; Sebastian's eyes were practically twinkling with pride.

Kurt lost it completely when Sebastian took his cock all the way down his throat without so much as a warning (seriously, what was with that?). All he could do was dig his fingers into Sebastian's scalp and cry out when the moment of climax hit him. He had expected Sebastian to pull back, but his boyfriend kept his mouth clamped around Kurt's cock, swallowing his load without a single gagging cough.

Spent and short of breath, Kurt was only able to remain upright thanks to Sebastian, who was steadying his shaky knees with his strong arms. Once he seemed confident that Kurt wouldn't fall over, he slid Kurt's cock out of his mouth. Kurt saw a stream of come (his come, he realized) dribbling down his face, like a scene out of a gay porno.

Sebastian wiped his mouth with his hand and stood up to hug Kurt by the waist. "So any thoughts?" he asked in his usual smug tone. "Anecdotes perhaps?"

"You're such a prick. It's a good thing you give excellent head," Kurt threw back with as much snarkiness as he could manage.

Sebastian brought their mouths together, but his kiss was more tender than urgent, which was surprising, considering that he hadn't come yet. "Guilty as charged." He wrapped his arms around Kurt's waist and kissed him again. "And you loved it."

"Yes I did, I mean, who wouldn't," Kurt admitted easily. His attempts to sneak a peak

at Sebastian's lower regions ended up backfiring on him when Sebastian followed his gaze. He grinned and pushed his hips against Kurt so he felt his hardening cock.

"I loved it too, as you can see."

"I should look after that for you," Kurt said, licking his lips. He only wished his options weren't so limited. But he was a total newbie when it came to blow jobs, and he feared there wasn't enough time left for him to get the feel of it enough to make Sebastian come. So that left either a good old fashion handjob (effective but kind of repetitive after last night), anal sex (his ass probably wasn't up for it though) or frottage. That last one had some good potential. So Kurt wasted no time taking charge and pinning Sebastian down on the bed.

Taking such a passive role didn't seem to bother Sebastian one bit, and he was fine to lay back and let Kurt have his way with him. It was a little tricky to get the right amount of friction going, especially when he had just come and his cock wasn't as hard as Sebastian's yet. But he powered through, used every trick he could think of (like his mouth, hands, and in the spur of the moment decision, his thighs) to help Sebastian along.

Towards the end, Sebastian was unable to hold his urges at bay and he began to grind himself against Kurt. The added help was enough to tip the scales and Sebastian's body tensed up underneath him with curling toes when he finally came. Kurt didn't follow him though, but considering he'd just had his own orgasm, he wasn't too disappointed about it.

Kurt joined Sebastian on the bed; he had the perfect view to watch his boyfriend's handsome face go through a wave of emotion. Giddiness slowly changed to a content satisfaction and almost as if were on cue, Sebastian let out a dreamy sigh.

"You sure know how to please a guy," Sebastian complimented while he gave Kurt's waist a loving squeeze.

The corners of Kurt's face dimpled as he grinned playfully in response. "I try."

"I can't wait to tell Puck how we did it for the first time in his bed. I'm still trying to decide what's the best way to share the info with him..." Sebastian said with a sinister grin.

It had been a while since Kurt had seen his boyfriend look so diabolical, and his reaction to it was to roll his eyes. "Or you could always thank him instead of playing your usual mind games?"

"Where's the fun in that though?" When Kurt's stone face expression didn't break despite his charming smile, Sebastian let out a sigh of defeat. "Whatever. I'll think of something on the fly then; it's when I often do my best work."

"Just as long as you leave me out of it."

Sebastian reached over to pick up his cell off of the night table and frowned. "And our time, I'm afraid, babe, is up. I told the others not to start working on the jacket until I got there. They're probably already at the studio and talking smack about me right now as we speak."

"Oh well, we'll have plenty of other chances to have our fill of one another." Kurt tried to force himself to stand, but it took too much effort and he just fell back on the bed with a tired thud. "I'm so worn out and sore; it's kind of pathetic."

"You're allowed to feel worn out after going for so long without getting any action, Kurt. Why don't you laze a bit longer and then meet us at the studio once you've gotten your strength back?"

As much as Kurt hated to admit it, Sebastian's idea sounded too good for him to pass up. If he were to force himself to get up now, he would just be crabby and irritable and most likely only hinder the gang's work rather than be helpful.

"I think I'll do that," Kurt said finally.

Sebastian nodded, and Kurt heard him talking to himself about picking up something to eat on his way out still as he strutted towards the bathroom. Kurt chuckled and rolled back onto his side. He closed his eyes, even though there was no hope of him falling back asleep. He knew it was only a matter of time before he would need to face the day, but he wanted to enjoy every minute he had left.

Off in the adjoining bathroom, Sebastian had just stepped into the shower and was spending an indulgement extra moment under the pounding stream of hot water. He couldn't stop smiling, so much that he probably looked like a lovestruck fool right now. In all of his sexual escapades, Sebastian had never woken up in such a good mood. Usually Sebastian had either left as soon as the act was done, or had bailed as soon as he had the energy (usually while his hookup took a shower). Either way, as soon as the the physical act was over, the guy he had just been with became ancient history. Even when it came to his past boyfriends (all three of them), any post sex rituals such as pillow talk, spooning or waking up beside them never really happened.

Sebastian was surprised by how easily he had done all of those things with Kurt (and all in one night too!). He had been doubtful that sex with feelings could be that different. Now he knew the answer was an unequivocal yes. Although, he didn't expect every time with Kurt to be pure magic or anything. No matter how deeply Sebastian felt for Kurt, he hadn't become _that_ delusional about love.

After his shower, Sebastian dolled himself up in the mirror; borrowing the hair and facial products Kurt had brought along for his stay at Puck's. Kurt was still in bed and lying on his side with his back to the bathroom door when Sebastian returned a short while later.

Even Kurt's back was enough to take his breath away (the bedsheet was covering from the waist down). Sebastian saw the numerous love bites he'd marked Kurt with and smiled. He knew his own body was in a similar state, but he would wear every hickey like a badge of honour (and most were hidden from view under his clothes). Or they would be, as soon as he got dressed.

Sebastian silently pondered his wardrobe options for a moment; he hadn't brought any extra clothes along. So it was a good thing that he and Kurt were similar enough in size that he could just borrow something.

Since Kurt was peacefully resting, Sebastian didn't bother to ask permission. There was no need to in any case; Kurt would have said yes, and many of the clothes he had brought were Sebastian's to begin with. Sebastian decided to pick something from the more casual spectrum, going with a simple blue button down shirt that actually belonged to Kurt, and he completed the set by borrowing the black jeans Kurt had bought on their first shopping date together.

Now dressed in his boyfriend's clothes, Sebastian stepped up to the mirror to assess his appearance. He looked as as natural in Kurt's clothing as he did his own, which made sense, since they had similar tastes in fashion (at least so far). But the shirt was still a little too plan for Sebastian's liking, so he put on the purple tie he had been wearing from last night to liven things up just a bit.

"Much better," Sebastian said in approval.

Sebastian had planned to leave without too much of a fuss, but when he turned back around, he saw that his boyfriend was not only awake, but sitting up and watching him attentively.

"You watched me get dressed didn't you?" How had Sebastian not realized that? _'I guess I really do stay super focused on myself when I'm putting an outfit together.'_ And here he'd thought that the many men who'd accused him of that were just being oversensitive.

"Can you blame me? The way you pay so much attention to every detail; it's quite entrancing." Kurt was the very picture of causal; he was slightly hunched over with his elbows resting on his knees.

As Sebastian gazed at Kurt lovingly, he really wished he had the time to linger a bit longer and join Kurt on the bed. Oh the things they could get up to, there was so much he could show Kurt... Then, just when Sebastian's imagination risked getting away from him and making him truly late, he was hit with a tidal wave of emotion. It nearly bowled him over, it was that intense and Sebastian was so unprepared for it that he couldn't even tell what the hell he was even feeling!

All it took was to look into Kurt's crystal blue eyes to know that what he was experiencing was a moment of total clarity. When everything suddenly clicked into place and made sense, and felt so right that there was no disputing it.

Overcome, Sebastian circled the bed until he was standing beside Kurt, who was watching him intently now. "You paint such a wonderful picture Kurt, but do you know what would make this scene truly perfect?" His inner poet wasn't running at his normally high performance levels, but Sebastian didn't let that trip him up.

"What?" Kurt asked with a yawn. He looked so sleepy and delicious, it was difficult for Sebastian to resist him, but resist he must, or else the show piece would never be finished in time.

"If you were in my bed and not Puck's." Sebastian paused to let his words sink in, except Kurt didn't seem to understand what Sebastian was getting at. "I want you to move in with me, Kurt." He hovered near the edge of the bed; Kurt was just out of reach and he widened his eyes when the realization hit him. He had expected Kurt to sputter off about how it was too early for them and that he didn't want to become a burden.

"That's a pretty big step," Kurt said in a soft voice.

"Yeah it is. I dunno if I'm ready for it really, but I still want to you to live with me." Sebastian wasn't used to speaking straight from the heart like this. He hated how vulnerable he sounded. If Kurt declined his offer-no matter how gently- he wasn't sure if he could hide his disappointment-and that scared him a little. "I know you said you didn't want to impose on me, but I don't feel like you would be."

Kurt smiled at him warmly and rested his chin against his knees, wrapping his arms around his folded legs. "I guess I better get to packing then-as soon as I'm ready to get up from this bed."

Sebastian's face lit up with joy and he let out a whooping cheer of victory. He couldn't believe Kurt had agreed so easily! Did this mean that he'd planned to move in with him beforehand, and had just been waiting for the right moment to tell him?

"Are you sure?" Sebastian asked, because he didn't want to put any pressure on Kurt.

"I'm as sure as you are, or I am now. I know I was hesitant before… but I want to live with you too, Sebastian."

"All right then. Is it okay if I let the others know? Or would you prefer to tell them yourself?"

"You can if you like."

"What about the amazing sex we had, can I share that as well?"

Kurt rolled his eyes, but before Sebastian could worry that he'd crossed a line, he smirked at him. "Sure why not, it's not like there's any reason to hide it from them, but no graphic details okay. I dunno if I could look any of them in the eye if you gave a full blow by blow."

Sebastian chuckled; the idea was tempting, but one he would never dream of doing.

"Shouldn't you be heading off to the studio?" Kurt reminded his boyfriend with a playful smirk.

"You're right, duty calls." It would be a good idea to put all of this excitement to good use, as long as he was mindful when he needed to sew things. Sebastian decided he would walk to the studio (it wasn't too long, if he took a quick bus ride) instead of driving his convertible; the fresh air should do him some good. "Make sure you don't stay away for too long, love; you are my muse after all."

After Kurt assured that he would join him at the studio in no later than two hours from now, Sebastian bid his boyfriend a fond farewell. He managed to kiss him goodbye just once, and on his way out, Sebastian grabbed the set of keys at the table. He knew exactly how to share this new turn of events with his friends, and he couldn't wait to see Puck's reaction.

Sebastian was on cloud nine when he finally made it to the Atelier. The walk there had been enjoyable, even if he had to keep his strides to a minimum or else his limp would have become really obvious. Not that he cared if anyone noticed it, and he was pretty sure the cashier at the coffee shop he'd stopped it had picked up on it (either that or she just really liked to smile).

When he arrived at his destination, Sebastian practically glided down the stairs and opened the door as if he were a dancer in a Broadway musical.

"Morning all," Sebastian chimed in a sing song voice. "Is everyone here having a good as time as I am?" He knew he was going a bit overkill with his happy act, but he wanted to indulge himself just for a little longer before he switched to work mode.

Unique was the first one to appear and and her grin was anything but subtle. "Why Sebastian, you're positively glowing." She latched onto his arm and half dragged him over to the bar. "You like you've just stumbled upon a new outlet store and found yourself one hell of a deal."

"It's even better than that," Sebastian replied, which was saying something, because bargain hunting was his favourite pastime (next to designing, and obviously sex).

"Let me guess." Unique said as she made her way around the bar to pour Sebastian a cup of tea. "You and Kurt finally did the deed last night, in Puck's apartment, and now you're a fully sexually satisfied man again?"

Sebastian laughed; he figured they were allowed a little time to socialize before they got to business. "What gave it away?"

Unique took her own teacup and brought it to her lips to take a sip of her drink. "Well, aside from that big grin on your face, I got a text from Sugar last night. It seems she went to visit Angel at Puck's and heard you two getting busy through the closed door right as she was about to ring the doorbell."

"I'll have to thank her for not interrupting us. So where are she and Puck anyway?" Sebastian asked as he looked around for any signs of the couple.

"They're making a snack run; we got tired of waiting for you and Kurt to show." Unique took a seat beside Sebastian; it had been far too long since they had gotten a chance to chat together like this. Out of all of his friends, Sebastian felt the most connected to Unique, which said something because they were quite different people. "Speaking of people who are MIA, where is Angel?"

"He decided to rest up in bed for a bit longer, but fear not, he will grace us with his presence shortly. I guess I wore him out pretty good last night," Sebastian explained with a proud smirk.

"Tell me more," Unique urged with hopeful eyes. "You know I'm trustworthy Sebastian; any details you share with me won't leave this room."

Sebastian had no trouble opening up to Unique, and truth be told, he was dying to talk about what had happened. "What can I say…" he began, just to keep her on her toes, but when he saw her narrow her eyes at him, he decided not to push his luck. Unique had even better persuasive powers than he did at times. "Kurt's a natural. He's taken to sex like a duck does to water."

Unique knew Sebastian well enough to understand his words were high praise indeed and she whistled. "You lucky devil."

"I know you and Sugar like to think he's some heavenly angel, but let me tell you, he sure abandons that shy innocent act when he gets between the sheets." Sebastian was very glad that Kurt wasn't there to hear the conversation. Knowing him, he would have died from secondhand embarrassment, or worse, gotten pissed off at Sebastian's frankness. But since he wasn't there, Sebastian could speak openly. "I'm not saying he doesn't have a lot to learn still. But if yesterday night was any indication-as well as this morning-then it won't take Kurt very long to catch up on what he's lacking."

As much as Sebastian appreciated getting a chance to talk about his new amazing sex life, he wasn't about to let everything be about him. "And how about you, Unique? Last I heard you were seeing that guy… what was his name again? The one who you said was a real sweetheart…"

"Ryder. I'm still seeing him, we just went on our third date last night actually."

"And how did it go? Is he still resting in bed like my dear Kurt is?"

Unique smiled at him playfully; it was wonderful to see her look so happily smitten. "I dunno about that, but he was grinning like a fool when I kissed him goodbye two hours ago."

Sebastian clapped his hands together. "Awesome! So when can the four of us go on a double date?"

"Hold your horses there. I know you're eager to meet him, but it's still too early for any double dates with you and Angel-or Puck or Sugar for that matter."

"But he did ask you to _go steady_ right? As the young kids would say."

Unique nodded. "He did, and since he's such a sweetheart, he asked me to be his girlfriend before we had sex."

"Good on him, there are so few gentlemen in the world, so I'm glad you managed to find yourself one," Sebastian announced as he raise his teacup to toast to Ryder's name. "I'd still like to meet him when you feel he's ready though. I promise to be on my best behaviour too."

"I'll run it by him but he'll probably be fine with it," Unique said.

Sebastian listened as Unique told him more about Ryder and how they had met. Sebastian recalled how nervous Unique had been before their first date. Sebastian had done his best to calm her, but he had understood Unique's trepidation. How many men had been unable to look past the fact that she was a transwomen to see her for the stunning and awe inspiring women that she was?

Sugar and Puck returned when Unique and Sebastian were on their second cup of tea and Sugar immediately rushed to the bar when she realized Sebastian was there.

"Sebastian! Thank god you're finally here! I sent you so many text messages that I thumbs are still paying the price!" She darted her eyes around the room and frowned. "Where's Angel? Isn't he with you?"

"Kurt's fine. He's just a bit tired this morning that's all. As you can imagine, since apparently you heard it for yourself last night. Sorry for that; Kurt hasn't learned proper volume control yet."

Sebastian watched as Puck slowly inched his way into the room as he struggled with two grocery bags full of snacks. He placed them on the nearby table and eyed the group curiously, but didn't bother to ask what was going on.

"Ah Noah, just the man I wanted to see," Sebastian said in greeting, fully laying on the charm. He stood up and took hold of Puck's hand, slipping the key into his palm before his now alarmed friend could react and pull it away. "Thanks for lending your home to Kurt, it came in handy last night when I took his virginity."

"What's with the key?" Puck asked, and then he took a better look at it. "Hold on, this is the key to my place!"

"Very astute of you, Noah. You can have it back; Kurt won't be needing it anymore."

"Is he moving in with you?" Sugar blurted out, visibly shaking with excitement.

"Why yes he is."

There was a brief moment when Sebastian thought Puck would tell him off for acting so rash, but he just shrugged at him in the end. "Whatever. Just don't let it distract you too much. The show's in two weeks and we still have a shitload of work to do."

"I'd never let that happen, and neither would Kurt, or any of you," Sebastian pointed out.

Unique went ahead and took out a few bags of chips to serve at the bar. "Who would have thought the day when all four of us were happily taken would come so quickly."

Sugar's eyes lit up. "Did Ryder ask you to be his girlfriend then?" When she saw Unique nod she let out a delighted squeal and hugged her friend tightly.

"Congrats Unique, and I thought for sure that Sebastian would be last one of us to find someone." Puck said as cast a smug glance at Sebastian, whose reply was to playfully roll his eyes while simultaneously flipping him off.

Even when there were no guarantees that any of their relationships would go the distance (though Sebastian was pretty sure that Sugar and Puck were endgame), Sebastian chose to look at the bright side of things. He was among friends, they all had found someone who knew how special they were and wanted to be with them. Soon Kurt would join them and then Sebastian would be among the four people he cared about most in the world.

Now if they could just win first place at the fashion show, and Sebastian would consider himself truly fortunate. Because as content as Sebastian felt in that moment, there was always something else for him to aspire towards-and he wouldn't want it any other way.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Kurt had barely resumed his search for a job when he ended up hitting a wall. Even though he knew his resume was ridiculously bare, he had still been hopeful that someone would see past that to give him a chance. Every place he had applied for work wanted work experience, but how was he supposed to gain experience if no one would hire him? It was so stupid, and unfair, and Kurt felt like he was trapped in an endless loop of rejection.

After spending three hours handing out resumes, applying online and living through two extremely awkward (and pointless) job interviews, Kurt was more than ready to head back to base so he could vent out his frustrations to his friends.

"How can the job market be so bad in such a highly populated area?" Kurt grumbled as he stormed through the door of the studio.

At first the four people inside the studio barely looked up from their work stations when Kurt made his dramatic entrance. They were probably so used to such displays that it was an everyday thing for them. Kurt paced back and forth for a moment in an attempt to tone his anger down a notch.

"Don't lose heart Angel; you've only been at it for a day," Unique said from her spot at the drafting table.

Kurt sighed as he came to a stop; she was right of course, but facing so much letdown right at the beginning was sure rough. "I know, I know…" he muttered in acknowledgement, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I knew finding a job wouldn't be easy, I just didn't realize how bad it would be! I can't believe how many places only want online applications too! How am I supposed to impress anyone if I can't talk to them face to face?"

Sebastian, who was busy making something with what looked like colourful glass beads, glanced up and beckoned Kurt towards him. "It's too bad you're not a woman Kurt, then you could just sleep with my dad and he'd give you all the money you want."

"Are my struggles something of a joke to you, Sebastian?" Kurt hissed; he was no in the mood for his boyfriend's twisted sense of humour.

"I dunno why you're trying to so hard to find a job anyway. You're living with me now, so you can afford to be picky with work."

"I want to pay my own dues Sebastian. I'll never become self sufficient if I fully depend on the charity of others." Kurt flopped down on the empty chair next to Sebastian's work station. He watched as his boyfriend carefully threaded beads together; somehow it ended up soothing his frazzled nerves a bit. "The worst part of it is that all of the decent paying jobs need some sort of college degree. But there's no way I could get such an education unless I can make up enough money for tuition, which I doubt I could do with the few places that would hire people without any experience."

"I get it, it sucks," Sebastian said without bothering to look at Kurt. There was no hint of sarcasm in his voice, or any other signs that he was trying to push Kurt's buttons.

"What the hell are you doing with those beads, Smythe?" Puck asked when he passed by Sebastian with the nearly finished waistcoat for the showpiece in his arms. "This is no time to be playing around! You should be working on the crazy jacket_ you_ designed with a million fucking accessories on it!"

Sebastian frowned at Puck in distaste. "Don't be so boorish, Noah. I'm making an accessory for the showpiece if you must know."

"You should save that stuff till we're done with the outfit. You still need to have Kurt try on the vest to make sure it's done so we can move onto the next thing," Puck reminded him.

"But sometimes I need to create when the inspiration strikes me; it's when I often do my best work. I also tend to be far more productive as well, so instead of whining to me, you should show a bit of faith and trust my abilities more, Noah." Sebastian lectured. "Because if you had, then you would have notice that I just finished it…" he held up his hand and opened his palm to reveal a beautifully crafted butterfly ring made out of purple glass beads.

Kurt leaned in to get a better look, but before he could Sebastian suddenly rose from his seat and slipped it onto Kurt's left ring finger. He stared at it in total awe; it was so beautiful that Kurt let out a loud gasp. The beads were a mix of dark purple, mauve, black and white and there was a simple yet stunning pattern on the outstretched wings.

"How's the fit?" Sebastian asked.

The question snapped Kurt out of his trance and he glanced up, only to discover that Sebastian was actually down on his knee in front of his boyfriend. "Oh, um… it's good." Kurt didn't mean to be so tongue tied, he was just too flustered to respond properly at first. He carefully tried to move the ring on his finger to see if it was loose enough to slip off by accident. "It's a perfect fit."

"Good. I thought I had your correct ring size, but I needed to be sure." Sebastian touched Kurt's knee before he stood back up and gave him a quick peck on the lips.

Kurt was left in such a daze that he didn't speak very much when Sebastian had him try the waistcoat next. He kept glancing at the ring at his finger; he had never really been one for jewelry, and yet he was already starting to feel attached to it. But why? Was it because Sebastian had put it on his left finger? Why should that matter? It wasn't as if Sebastian had proposed to him, even if he'd gone down on one knee to slip the ring on.

Much to Puck's relief, Sebastian deemed the waistcoat finished and went to go work on the outer jacket. Kurt spent his time trying to be as helpful as possible; he cleaned up, handed tools to people, and did any small task they asked of him. He was still wearing the ring (Sebastian hadn't asked for it back) and whenever he looked at it he couldn't help but smile.

Sebastian was completely in the zone; working tirelessly on the jacket as he fought to get the shape of the shoulders just right. He still flirted with Kurt when he asked him over to try the jacket (which had no sleeves yet) on, but as soon as the task was done he went back to business. Kurt had never seen him so focused before, and it was amazing to watch. The way that Sebastian knew exactly what to do, and solved any setbacks he experienced along the way.

"Sebby's really nailing it today, he must be in a super good mood," Sugar announced as she took a short break to join Kurt on the chaise lounge. "And we have you to thank for that, Angel."

"I guess it's true that Sebastian does work his best when he's having regular sex," Unique added with a wink.

"Hey, it sure works for me," Puck said.

This was exactly what Kurt had needed to turn his day around and it felt good to be able to smile again. Come tomorrow Kurt would head back out and try even harder to wade through the vast sea that was the job market. He had no idea if he would get any positive results this time, but Kurt wasn't about to give up yet. Kurt Hummel was no quitter.

Kurt held the ring on his finger up over his head and grinned; he might not want to become some glorified trophy husband, but he was beginning to see why so many people were drawn to wearing jewelry. _'Who knows, a little bling could do me some good right now.'_

And while Kurt did plan to save his money wisely (if and when he did find a paying job), he suddenly had the urge to treat himself, and possibly buy a ring of his own to proudly wear (but not on his left hand).

_

Later that night Sebastian ended up bringing work home with him and Kurt watched him stitch bead after bead onto the outer jacket. Eventually a pattern started to form, that while beautifully intricate, seemed a bit much. "Aren't you going a bit overkill with the beads?" Kurt dared to ask after an hour passed and his boyfriend still wasn't done.

"If you think this is overkill, then you have no idea what I'm even capable of, babe," Sebastian replied with a superior grin. "But I'm nearly done, sorry for ignoring you for so long." He tied a few final knots on the cord he had been threading with beads, made sure everything was secure and then placed the jacket carefully onto the table.

When Sebastian turned around and set his sights on Kurt, there was no mistaking what his boyfriend wanted. "But I'm done for now, and ready to make it up to you."

"Finally," Kurt muttered as Sebastian pulled him in for a long kiss. He knew it was too late for them to get up to much, but he refused to go bed completely empty handed. Sebastian seemed to have the same idea, until his hand brushed against Kurt's and he suddenly stopped their makeout session.

"Why do you still have this on?" Sebastian asked as he held up Kurt's left hand and saw the ring on his finger.

"You never asked for it back."

"Well, I'm asking for it now."

Kurt pouted as he clutched his left hand protectively. He knew that no matter how careful he was, the risk of breaking the delicate ring was too high. It was also hardly practical to wear either; its immense size might work for the runway but not for everyday wear. But even though it was nothing but a prop for a fashion show, it was still the first ring Kurt had even been given. The moment when Sebastian had slipped it on his finger still lingered in his mind, like a cherished memory. He was afraid that when the ring came off that feeling would leave him as well.

"_K-urt_..." Sebastian playfully warned, but still using his no nonsense voice.

Before Sebastian could resort to any desperate measures, Kurt slipped the ring off his finger and handed it back to its creator. "Is there anything else?" he asked in a sarcastic tone, unable to hide his displeasure.

"I was hoping you'd try the waistcoat on for me."

Kurt frowned in puzzlement. "I thought you said it was finished?" He hadn't even realized Sebastian had brought it home with him.

"Okay you caught me," Sebastian said, sighing in defeat and acting as if Kurt had pried the truth out of him. "I just want to see you wear it again. I think I love you dressed in vests more than any other garment…" Now that the ring was safely off of Kurt's finger, Sebastian apparently saw no reason not to coax his boyfriend into saying yes through the power of his touch. "Well that and skinny jeans, but who says I can't have two favourites."

It wasn't long before Kurt would have said yes to anything Sebastian wanted, and while putting on more clothes felt somewhat counter productive, Kurt still gave in. Sebastian eagerly stepped up to put the waistcoat on Kurt the second he gave his consent. He took extra care in buttoning up the front and then circled around Kurt, admiring his frame from every possible angle.

"You look so devastatingly tantalizing that I'm tempted to say to hell to getting any more work done tonight-or sleep-and spend the night ravishing you until your body begs for mercy."

Kurt gulped; he wanted that too, except the guilt of tearing Sebastian away from his work would be too much for him to ignore. "As much as I hate to be the sensible one here, we both know your heart wouldn't be in it enough to make it worthwhile.

"Care to bet on that?"

"Save that vigor for the showpiece. We can spend our nights fucking each other's brains out once the show's over." Kurt was slowly starting to see that profanity had it's uses; at least when it came to amusing his boyfriend.

"So I'm supposed to remain celibate until then? Fuck that," Sebastian kissed Kurt deeply, dragging his hands up and down the front of Kurt's body. "Come on, try to look me in the eye and tell me that you don't want to hit this." He pressed himself against Kurt, slowly rocking his hips back and forth to add just a hint of friction.

"Oh this low even for you, Sebastian," Kurt muttered under his breath. Not to mention completely unjustified. Kurt couldn't think of a single thing he could have done to that justified him being subjected to such torture (no matter how good it felt).

Just when Kurt feared he was reaching his breaking point and would soon give into his boyfriend's whims and take him where he stood, Sebastian began to tone it down. He slowed his pace, changing his touch into something far less urgent and more tender. Kurt's libido (and his temper) slowly lessened until the final kiss they shared was soft and sweet.

"You're far too good to me, Kurt," Sebastian cooed. "Sometimes I dunno how you put up with me."

"It helps when you don't try to push me too much."

Sebastian grinned at him, but the moment seemed to be over, and not a minute too soon. He turned around to look at the jacket lying on his work table. "I guess I was just frustrated that I can't spend more time with you and I dealt with it badly."

"I'd say so, yes." At least Sebastian was owning up to it; even if Kurt thought it had come a little late. He found no reason to hold a grudge though, especially when Sebastian wasn't acting like his usual cocky self right now. Kurt watched Sebastian's face for a moment; it seemed impossible but he swore there was true regret in his tired green eyes.

"Nobody said that you becoming my muse would also make you my greatest weakness," Sebastian let out a tired sigh. "Pulling an all nighter sounds like a deserving punishment, wouldn't you agree?"

"You can do whatever you like, but I'm going to head to bed now. Late nights are bad for your skin." Though Kurt did linger long enough to share a goodnight kiss with his boyfriend before taking his leave.

"That's the spirit," Kurt heard Sebastian call from through the opened bedroom door.

As Kurt dressed himself for the night, his thoughts turned to something other than Sebastian and his many trying ways. Even though he had every intention to go back out tomorrow and resume his job hunt, it was hard to remain positive. Could he truly make it on his own? Or was Kurt just kidding himself with the idea that he wouldn't have to keep relying on Sebastian for a long time to come. Part of him wished he could just allow himself to take a step back and figure out what he wanted from life. But when had his life ever been that convenient? No, what Kurt needed to do was do everything in his power to make it, and then once he had worked hard enough, then he could focus on finding his true path.

Sleep didn't bring Kurt's doubtful mind any rest either; he ended up having a vivid dream where his mom kept saying how disappointed she was in him. Her words cut deep at Kurt, and began to literally chip away at him, eroding his skin until there was nothing left of him but bleached white bones.

Kurt woke with terror, only for his jolting body to be pulled back down and hugged from behind. "Sebastian?" he gasped, still breathing heavily as fought to counteract the fear rushing through him.

"Shh, it's okay Kurt, I'm here. I've got you," Sebastian whispered soothingly. "It was just a bad dream."

"A dream," Kurt repeated, the realization finally sinking in as Sebastian continued to hold him protectively.

It still took Kurt a while to be able to settle back down, and that was when he finally noticed the ring placed on his left hand. It was smaller than the one he'd worn before; the beaded butterfly was the width of his ring finger and less ornate. It was the perfect size to wear normally, and the smaller beads meant it was less fragile as well.

Kurt, in his emotionally vulnerable state, broke down crying at the sight of it, but they were happy tears. He shifted around in Sebastian's arms so he could bury his head against his boyfriend's chest. Sebastian tucked his chin over the top of Kurt's head as he adjust to this new position. It wasn't long before they were both comfortably snuggled together.

"Sebastian I…" Kurt struggled to say, but Sebastian just shushed him.

"Save it for tomorrow, babe. All you need to do right now is let us both go to sleep, because I'm seconds away from crashing."

"I can do that," Kurt said with a yawn, and before he knew it, Sebastian was quietly snoozing next to him. He knew he would soon be joining him, but Kurt let himself savour the moment for as long as possible before his need for sleep overtook him.

_

Sebastian's gift just kept on giving when Kurt found himself full of pep and ready to take on the whole world that following morning. After talking with Sebastian over breakfast, Kurt was struck with the bright idea to take the advice his boyfriend had given him the night prior. Kurt shouldn't just look for any old job, or what was the point of dropping out of school if he was just going to do something else he felt no passion for? What Kurt needed to do was look to the things he enjoyed and let them be his guide. Thankfully Kurt knew exactly how to make that happen, or rather, who to turn to.

This sudden but still bright idea of his brought Kurt to a quaint little restaurant located in the heart of the Loop. Dressed in yet another Paradis Bise original, Kurt snuck one last look at his new ring (which he switched to his right hand, since he and Sebastian weren't engaged) and bravely strolled inside the establishment.

He quickly found Isabelle Wright's kind face and she waved him over from the entrance of the restaurant. He still couldn't believe she'd agreed to seeing him so easily; maybe his ring really was a lucky charm (he could sure use one right now).

"Hi Isabelle, thank you for seeing me on such short notice. I hope I'm not keeping you from anything important," Kurt sputtered as he took a seat at the table.

"Oh please Kurt, it's always a pleasure and no trouble at all. I seriously needed an excuse to get out of my office. So since I'm the one who should be thanking you really, lunch is on me, and I won't take no for an answer, Kurt." She handed him a menu and began suggesting things for him to try. Once their orders were made, she leaned forward to rest her chin on her hands. "So what did you want to speak to me about? I have a few things to bring up as well, but you were the one who contacted me, so you should go first."

Kurt sipped at his root beer to stall for a second. "Well, as you know, I've been trying to rediscover myself, and ever since I did that shoot for you, I've been wondering if I should pursue modelling as a career. I've been thinking about it more and more over the past few days, and I've reached a point where I keep coming back to this. Only I have no idea where to even begin. I contacted you in the hopes that you might be able to point me in the right direction." Kurt made sure he had worded himself carefully, so she wouldn't think he was asking her for more modelling jobs.

"I can do that, and more, actually. As luck would have it, a friend of mine recently started her own modelling agency and is in dire need of male models."

"That wonderful!" Kurt exclaimed before he could stop himself. Slightly embarrassed, Kurt went on and added, "But what is a modelling agency exactly?"

"It works the same way that an acting agency would: my friend's company finds jobs for her clients, and acts as a go between for them and the designers and other clients. She and I met up earlier in the week and when I showed her some of the shots from the shoot you did she said you were just the type she was looking for. I didn't say anything to her at the time because I wasn't sure if you would be interested or not. But now that I know you are, I'll give you her contact information so you can set up a meeting."

Kurt was already on board, and while it was impossible for him to refrain from having high hopes, he did want to hold on whatever composure he still had. "So if I am understanding things correctly, if I'm taken on by your friend's agency, I would essentially be set for modelling jobs?"

Isabelle nodded. "Basically yes. You wouldn't be able to go through any other agencies for work mind you, but her company has been doing quite well. You would still need to audition for larger jobs-which she would set up, but you you could start getting smaller jobs right from the start."

"Then you can count me in!" Kurt said, grinning enthusiastically at her. He knew better than to go and say something like 'I just hope I'll be good enough' this time.

"Great. I'll text you her contact info and then send her a text myself, just to give you that extra in." Isabelle looked just like her niece (though her thumb movements weren't nearly as fast) as she quickly typed and sent the said messages.

Kurt had just finished the rest of his risotto when Isabelle's phone rang, and his heart leapt in his chest.

"Oh, hi Shelby, yes I'm free to talk to you now." Isabelle paused to listen to whatever this Shelby was saying to her. Kurt wished her phone was on speaker, but he wouldn't dream of asking her to turn it on. "Yes of course I can tell Kurt you're very interested in him, because he just happens to be with me right now." Isabelle looked Kurt's way and mouthed 'you've so got this' to him. "You're free today? Well isn't that wonderful…"

"Tell her that my schedule is wide open today," Kurt whispered to her. "But in a less desperate way."

"Kurt says he'd be thrilled to meet with you today, Shelbs." Isabelle mumbled a few 'uh-huhs' as she jotted down the details in on a napkin. "All right, today at three then. Now I expect you to be on your best behaviour with Kurt; he's something special." After offering her thanks, she ended the call and beamed at Kurt, who was sitting on the edge of his seat in anticipation. "It's all set, as you just heard, you're scheduled in at three. I'll go ahead and text you the address to her office; it's not that far away." Isabelle took a long drink of her coffee when the task was done. "I sadly won't be able to go with you, I'm far too busy with getting my collection together for the spring show…"

"Oh no!" Kurt said, holding his hands up in the air to stop her. "_Please_! You've already done enough as it is! I can't even begin to repay you either, so I'm just going to thank you!" He reached out to shake her hand.

"I'm happy to help, Kurt, and you'll be in good hands with Shelby; she used to be a model herself so she knows the industry inside and out."

Kurt wasn't used to things falling into his lap this easily, and he couldn't help but feel like he'd done nothing to deserve any of it. "Is it normal for me to worry that in spite of how determined I feel, I'm just going to ruin everything somehow?" he asked as he fingered the collar of his shirt nervously.

"Not at all. It's good that you're nervous; it means you want the job, Kurt."

Yes he did. In fact, Kurt wanted the job so badly he didn't know what he would do if he messed up his interview and didn't get signed on. Even when everything seemed to be pointing towards a positive outcome, the high stakes made it hard for Kurt to remain at ease.

"I've been wondering, that outfit of yours is stunning Kurt, and so was the one you wore when we met the first time. Tell me, were either of them made by Sebastian?"

Kurt nodded. "Both actually, it's one of the perks you get when you're dating a designer." His current outfit consisted of a black poplin button down shirt with a paint splatter print in white, a pair of snug fit khaki pants, and dotted bow-tie. And since Sebastian loved his boyfriend in vests so much, Kurt had added a black fitted one to top it all off. While his lace up genuine leather boots added a just the touch of ruggedness that amazingly completed the look.

"I knew it. There is seriously nothing that boy can't do. I'm going to need to keep an eye on him, because he is going to be a serious rival of mine in the future," Isabelle said with a fierce determination; yet another trait she shared with Sugar. "It is sweet how well his designs fit you, Kurt."

Kurt blushed at her. "Oh, I know."

"Well, as much as I've enjoyed our lunch today. I really should get going. We'll see each other soon enough. My show is on the fifteenth of May, so be sure to keep that day open for me, Kurt." Isabelle rose from her seat and grabbed her purse. "I'm designing something with you in mind for the show even."

"You can count on me, Isabelle; I'm looking forward to it."

Isabelle waved goodbye to Kurt and dashed out of the restaurant as fast as her high heels could take her.

With his first meeting of the day finished, Kurt was left to wait until the second one would happen. Hopefully he could use the time he had to keep himself from panicking too much, or doubting his ability (as Sebastian often put it). This time he didn't frantically call up his boyfriend to help him put an outfit together. He figured if Isabelle liked his ensemble enough to comment on it, then there was no reason for him to change.

He spent the wait walking around the Loop, taking in the sights and doing some window shopping. Kurt had lived here all his life but rarely paid much attention to the things around him. Kurt had already found a charming little bistro he planned to take Sebastian to on their next date. He eventually found his way to the address Isabelle had texted him, and he stepped in front of the door to press the intercom on the gate.

"Yes?" a feminine voice cracked through the speaker.

"Oh, um hi, this is Kurt Hummel. Isa-." Kurt stopped himself; using her first name suddenly felt too familiar. "I mean called you earlier today to set up my interview."

"You're right on time, . Please come in, we're up on the second floor," the voice replied.

The short elevator ride still felt like eons for Kurt, who was on pins and needles. So much for not getting worked up then, but it could have been worse; he wasn't so nervous that he feared being unable to speak. There was just so much riding on this interview and Kurt had never wanted something so badly before.

Kurt had expected to find a front door with a doorbell for him to press, only there wasn't one. Instead he found a long winding hallway that lead to smaller opening. His unsure feet carried him along until he arrived at a desk where a young woman was seated. She smiled at Kurt as he gingerly stepped into view.

"The president is waiting for you, Mr. Hummel," she politely informed him. The woman, who was obviously Shelby's secretary, gestured to the door on her far right. "Her office is just through that door."

Kurt was so focused on holding his composure that he didn't notice the look of interest the receptionist gave him as he headed off. He took a deep breath, opened the door and the brunette woman seated at the desk inside looked up to smile at him in greeting.

"Kurt, Welcome. I'm Shelby Corcoran, present of Treetop modeling," she said as she beckoned him to take a seat.

"Thank you," Kurt said, closing the door behind him before sitting down across from her. "It's a pleasure to meet you, and thank you for seeing me so soon."

"Oh , the pleasure's all mine. As soon as Isabelle showed me the photos of the shoot you did for her I knew I wanted to represent you!"

He had expected Shelby to be similar in age to Isabelle, but there were other noticeable similarities too; like how their warm demeanour instantly put Kurt's nerves at ease. He could see why they had become friends, although, he didn't know how close the two actually were.

"How tall are you, Kurt?" Shelby suddenly asked.

It took Kurt a moment to register the question; he must be staring at her like a clueless idiot right now. "Oh, um… I'm like, 5'11, or almost 6 foot I believe. Sorry, I've never really measured myself before." He hadn't realized that height would matter so much, which showed how little he knew about modelling. Kurt hoped he wasn't jumping the gun too fast, because he felt more than a little over his head here-and it probably showed.

"It's all right Kurt, I only asked because you looked a lot taller in the photos, but the camera tends to do that."

Kurt simply nodded, though he wasn't sure why, and he picked up the mug of coffee in front of him just so he'd have something to do. He blew on the surface; this wasn't how he imagined the interview would go, but then, he really had no idea what to expect.

"So as you have no doubt notice Kurt, the studio here is on the small side. I started this agency only four months ago and have acquired four models, who are all female. I'm currently looking to add a few dashing men to my ranks. I plan to move the agency to a bigger space once the company expands. But the business aspects aside, I formed this agency to help young aspiring models make it in the industry. I was once like you Kurt; I knew what I wanted but didn't know how to make that dream a reality."

"That sounds like the exact sort of direction I need. Modelling kind of just fell into my lap by chance, but I find myself really wanting to pursue it as a career now. All that's in my way is my own ignorance in not knowing where to begin." Kurt wasn't being entirely truthful, because there were countless other obstacles, such as his tendency to have panic attacks when he became overly stressed, but he wasn't about to list them to her.

Shelby leaned forward to intently study Kurt for what felt like ages, when it had probably been two minutes as best. "It's rare for me to see such determination on so young a face. Isabelle said you're nineteen I believe?" Kurt nodded, albeit nervously, and she smiled at him. "That's old enough for me to take you on of course, but since you're most likely a college freshman, you can start out as part time if needed. Two of my models are also students, so I have no trouble accommodating for school. I'll just need you to keep me updated on your schedule for each new term."

"I'm actually not in school right now." How should Kurt explain his current situation without making him sound like he wasn't committed enough to the job,because admitting he was a college dropout sort of suggested otherwise.

"Oh, really?" Shelby paused to take a drink of her coffee. "When Isabelle said you were a friend of her niece I guess I just assumed you were a classmate of hers."

"I'm going through a life change of sorts…" Kurt began awkwardly; as much as he hated to share such personal details, he knew he needed to say something. "I was attending college until recently, but my parents had chosen the school and it wasn't a good fit for me. I'm starting anew now, and I find myself drawn to modelling. And doing the shoot for Mrs. Wright only confirm that desire."

Shelby gave Kurt an encouraging nod of what looked like understanding (or possibly agreement, or both). "If you want start working full time then that will make jobs easier to find on my end. But if you do end up going back to college Kurt, I want to you know that it wouldn't be a problem. As long as you give me a head ups of course," she explained.

"I really appreciate all of this," Kurt would have called her by name, but he wasn't sure if she was a Miss or a Mrs (and he really didn't want to get it wrong). "I want to sign with you, no question, and I promise I'll do everything in my power to help your agency expand and do well."

"I love your moxie Kurt, it's making me feel very excited. Just you leave it to me…" she extended her hand for Kurt to shake. "I'll not only turn you into a model, but make you a household name."

Kurt shook her hand to metaphorically seal the deal, since he wouldn't be officially hired until he signed an actual contract. Shelby ended up handing one to him next and suggested he look it over before signing it. Kurt understood her reasoning and even though he doubted there would be anything in it to change his mind, he wanted to have Sebastian look it over and tell him what he thought of it.

But no sooner had Kurt allowed himself to hope for the best, then reality's cruel hammer came slamming down to pound that hope into the ground.

"A five hundred dollar starter fee?" Puck asked in confusion.

From his spot sitting at the bar, Kurt let out a heartfelt sigh; he'd come straight to the studio after the interview. Sebastian was seated on his right, close but not to the point of coddling him, but Kurt did appreciate his boyfriend's comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's an introductory fee, more or less, to get me started."

Shelby had explained it to Kurt, but he hadn't really understood her fully, and had been too embarrassed to ask for further clarification. It actually made sense to him still though, the existence of it just threw an unexpected wrench into his plans. "I assumed it's standard practice…" he was still glad he knew she was legit thanks to Isabelle though.

"It is a common requirement when models sign with an agency; the funds are used for press shots, travel expenses and other expenses," Sebastian explained to the group.

This was exactly why Kurt had sought his friends out, and Sebastian's knowledge on the subject was just as informative as he as hoped as well. "Good to know… now if only I had the means to get that much money," Kurt said with a heavy sigh.

"What about the money you made from the job with my auntie?" Sugar asked.

That brought on yet another sigh; Kurt really needed to stop that before it got annoying. "It's not enough to cover the whole cost." At least not without landing him in the red. Kurt had just set up his cell plan and needed to be able to pay it each month for the next year at least too.

"Have you explained your situation to the president? She might be able to do something for you if she knew money's tight for you right now, Angel," Unique questioned.

"I doubt that would work, and I don't want ask for any special favours, or have to explain my whole _situation_ to her either," replied Kurt, who had already considered and vetoed Unique and Sugar's suggestion on his trip to the studio.

Sebastian, who had resumed reading Kurt's contract with Treetop Modelling, brought his attention back to Kurt again. "I would think that a sensible man such as yourself would have a pretty hefty savings account. I seem to recall you telling me you didn't want to wipe your funds out on our first shopping date too."

It figured that Sebastian could tell when Kurt was hiding something, no matter how small, and call him out on it.

"I do have a savings account, and there's enough in it to cover the fee…" Kurt admitted. "Only it's not really mine; it's my parents' money. They gave it to me for textbooks and other simple living expenses. I kept thinking my parents would empty it when I moved out, but it's all still there, right down to the last dollar."

"You could always try talking to your parents and see if they'd give their permission to use the money," Puck offered out of the blue, and when he saw Kurt scowl at him, he added, "I know you don't wanna hear that, but as much as it would suck, I don't see any of you coming up with a better idea. I was just the only one who was brave enough to suggest it."

"As much as I hate the idea, Noah is right, and as far as I'm concerned Kurt, they owe it to you after the years of grief you had to put up with thanks to them," Sebastian weighed in.

Kurt chewed on his lip as he tried to think of a good reason not to ask his parents for help, but none came to mind. He doubted his friends would consider how he didn't want to face his mom-when he had nothing to show for-as a viable excuse. "I'm not sure I can face either of them yet…"

"I know it won't be easy for you, Angel, but if the money still there, then they might willing to listen," Sugar said.

"You don't know what my mom's like, Sugar. Her inability to listen to reason was the whole reason I left." Kurt didn't mention the slap, since only Sebastian knew about that.

"You could just take the money without asking their permission. And if they bother to contact you about it, just tell them you'll give it back once you earn enough money modelling. There's nothing wrong with using them for your own benefit, especially when they left the money there," Sebastian pointed out, going in the opposite direction of the others.

Although everyone was bringing up very good points (even Sebastian), Kurt didn't want to make a decision. He wanted to run away from his problems and just wait for everything to magically come together on its own. Kurt had been holding firm that he wouldn't be the first one to reach out his parents; if they wanted to mend the rift between them, then they would have to make the first gesture. If Kurt were to contact them, when he was only doing so because he wanted something, then there was no telling how things would go down.

Should he just do what Sebastian had suggested and take the money without asking? What was the worst that could happen? His mother was already furious with him, and as for his dad, who know what Burt would do. It wasn't like they would take legal actions… right? Kurt's mind was starting to run wild.

"I'll think about it," Kurt finally said, though he doubted he had the time needed to convince himself to approach his parents.

Kurt's half-hearted response seemed to try the last of Sebastian patience and the designer pushed himself off the stool and away from his boyfriend. "Break time's over kiddies; we need to get back to work, or else I'll have to take drastic measures, and we all know none of us wants that to happen."

No one in the room bothered to call out Sebastian's potential bluff, which seemed to suggest such low tactics were regular practice for Paradis Bise's leader. Puck's glare as he sulked over to his sewing station suggested that he detested this kind of behaviour, but the others went back to work without any real signs of protest.

Kurt couldn't help but feel slightly abandoned by their sudden departure (though Sugar did mouth 'sorry' to Kurt, and Unique winked at him before walking away), he knew the show was nearing but there still was a thing called tact. He blamed their fearless leader, who was the only one who hadn't moved from in front of Kurt yet. "Let me guess… you want me to leave?" Kurt coolly asked, easily matching Sebastian's air of indifference.

"It's nothing personal, babe," Sebastian said, pecking him on the lips. "In your troubled state, you'd just be in the way. In this case, I gotta be cruel to be kind. We've given what feedback we could to your money conundrum, so now it's up to you to decide what you'll do about it."

"A little solitude would do me some good right now," Kurt said, and he left Sebastian and the others to their work. When his boyfriend didn't make any additional comments he saw that as a dismissal if there ever was one. Oh well, Sebastian hadn't said or done anything to resent him for, so Kurt let the issue drop before it could escalate.

Kurt headed out of the studio without another word, confident that when he saw Sebastian later that night there would be nothing to worry about. He decided to go get some dinner before going back to the apartment. But it seemed the the universe had other ideas when Kurt's phone suddenly started to ring. He brought his cell out and saw that it was Blaine who was calling him and he saw no reason not to answer.

"Hi, Blaine," Kurt started, he was tempted to apologize for not contacting him, but that felt too forced to him.

"Hey, I'm glad I was finally able to get a hold of you," Blaine replied.

"Yeah, sorry about that, the past few days have been pretty hectic."

"What about right now? I was hoping we could meet up long enough to talk face to face?"

Kurt didn't see any reason not to meet up with Blaine. His former classmate seemed generally concerned about Kurt wellbeing, as unbelievable as that felt to him. "Sure, you caught me at a rare quiet moment actually. There's this outdoor cafe in the Loop that's close by, how about we meet there. I'll text you its name and location." Kurt was a short five minute walk away from the cafe which was why he had suggested it to Blaine. He sent Blaine the information as promised and then asked, "Where are you?"

"Also nearby, as luck would have it. I can be there in ten," Blaine told Kurt.

"I'll save you a seat then," Kurt said before ending the call. He wasn't sure at first if he should order anything to eat or drink until Blaine got there. In the end he just got himself a white chocolate mocha and claimed a two seat table outside. The wait for Blaine to arrive flew by and he waved his old crush over when he appeared around the corner.

At first Kurt couldn't understand why Blaine's eyes had widened when he caught sight of Kurt, but then it dawned on him. Of course Blaine would be surprised after seeing Kurt look so different from his old subdued appearance. Even when Kurt had begun to change his image during his last few days at school, it was nothing compared to his appearance now. Kurt's hair was fabulously styled, his bangs swept up on his head with a few trailing curls. His outfit was the same one he'd worn to the interview and nothing like he would have dreamed to wear at school (at least not so suddenly). And then there was Kurt's whole demeanor; how much more at ease and confident Kurt appeared (though some of that was only a facade to ignore his problems). In fact, if Kurt were in Blaine's shoes, he probably would have reacted far more strongly.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Blaine said as he sat down across from Kurt at the table.

"I haven't been waiting for that long Blaine, you took exactly ten minutes to get here, just as you said."

Blaine didn't bother to go order anything and just joined Kurt at the table; he looked exactly as Kurt remembered, dapper and handsomely adorable. He was wearing a white polo shirt with a blue collar and a matching blue bowtie, and his pants were a slightly darker blue. Over top of his polo shirt was a navy sweater vest with white piping. While the ensemble suited Blaine's image very well, Kurt wondered what Sebastian would make of it. Though Kurt had no plans to introduce the two to one another-at least not yet, and not because he was hiding them from each other.

"So, I hear you and Sugar ran into each other at Puck's place when you both stopped by to see me?" Kurt commented, figuring he'd save Blaine the trouble of bringing the subject up himself. Sugar had told him all about the meeting, and how Puck had accidently outed Kurt to Blaine too. In some odd sort of way, Kurt was actually relieved, because it saved him the task of doing it himself. Although it did make the atmosphere slightly awkward between them now, which was the main reason Kurt had cut to the chase.

"I thought she might," Blaine admitted. "I haven't told anyone that you're gay, just so you know."

Kurt smiled at Blaine. "Thanks." He never for a second had thought Blaine would spread the news, despite how little they knew one another. "Is that what you wanted to talk about?"

Blaine rolled his eyes. "No of course not. I was just wondering how things have been for you. Sugar told me some of the story, but not all of it. I figured instead of bugging her about it, I should just ask you directly. The last we talked you said something about there being an opportunity you couldn't pass up?"

"I've recently decided to try to make as a model. The thing I mentioned before was a modelling job I had gotten all of a sudden, thanks to Sugar's aunt," Kurt explained.

"That explains your new trendy image then; I guess I was right when I said you looked like a model that one day at class." Blaine looked away from Kurt to stare at the water's edge off in the distance for a brief moment. It was very hard for Kurt to read Blaine for emotions, as best he could tell his casual stance was genuine, as was his friendly grin.

"It's taken me some time, but I finally feel like I'm close to becoming who I'm supposed to be. That's why I dropped out of school. I no longer cared if I was the top student, or if I even did well on my exams. I'm not saying that it was a horrible place, it just wasn't for me, Blaine."

"Have you had much luck with finding modelling jobs? I mean, not that I think you wouldn't, I just have no idea how the industry even works." There was that adorable bashful side of Blaine again. Kurt couldn't count the times he had seen him become all bashful when talking to others (usually cute girls). Just because Kurt was in love with Sebastian didn't mean that he was blind to Blaine's many charming qualities; he just didn't see him in that way anymore. He was cute yes, but so was Sebastian, and he was the one who held his heart now.

"I actually just came back from an interview with a modelling agency that wants to sign with me," Kurt admitted; he saw no reason to go onto explain how he might not be able because he was short of funds.

"That's great! I'm glad things are going so well for you."

Kurt finished off the rest of his mocha and set the empty cup on the table. "So am I. Sometimes I hardly believe these last few weeks had been real." He let out an awkward laugh as he put a loose strand of hair back into place.

"Are you still staying at Puck's?"

The question felt harmless enough to Kurt, who shook his head. "No I'm living with my boyfriend for the time being. I didn't want wear out my welcome at Puck's, since he'll eventually need to come back home once Sugar's dad comes back from his business trip."

Blaine dipped his head down and Kurt swore he felt relieved that Kurt had answered him so easily. "If there's anything I can do help you out; don't hesitate to let me know." Blaine rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Though I'm sure your boyfriend already has it covered."

"He tries, even though I'm still not used to asking for help half of the time still."

"I know what that's like; I'm usually far too stubborn and want to do everything myself. As if asking others for help would make me come off as being weak. Which I know is ridiculous…"

"Obviously, but I do it too," Kurt said, teasing him lightly.

"Oh before I forget, your mom ended up putting you on official sick leave for school. I don't know if that means anything to you, but I thought you should know still," Blaine explained.

If Kurt didn't trust Blaine, he would have argued that he was misinformed, because he really couldn't imagine his mom doing such a thing. Or maybe he should, since she probably expected Kurt to come home after a few weeks of living on his own and admit he had been wrong.

Blaine, who had either picked up on Kurt's annoyance, or simply had some place to be, rose from his chair. He readjusted the strap of his book bag on his shoulder and smiled weakly at Kurt. "I need to go; I have a big exam to prepare for, I'd wish you luck but I doubt someone as determined as you will need it."

"The same goes for you and your upcoming test," Kurt replied.

Once again Kurt found himself left to his own devices, and he still had no idea what to do about his folks. He brought out his phone and stared at his texts, only his mom's one message wasn't there to anymore (he'd swiftly deleted it when he'd gotten it). Try as he might, Kurt couldn't erase history, whether he ignored them or not, his mom and dad were still his parents, and until he faced them, there would be no hope of closure between them. Kurt didn't even know he wanted closure really, or if reconciliation was possible.

He let out a tired sigh and stood up. "Who knows, maybe being the bigger person will work in my favour."

_

When Sebastian came home later that evening, all it took was one look into Kurt's sullen eyes to know his boyfriend was in need of a good pick-me-up. Kurt had probably spent the night agonizing over whether he should use his parents' money, or ask their permission to use it without coming off as desperate. Ugh, just thinking about it was making Sebastian feel depressed. That was no way for someone as fabulous as Kurt to spend the evening. What he needed was something to take his mind (and the edge) off of things, and what could be better than a round of hot sex with his boyfriend?

Any doubts that Kurt might not welcome Sebastian's sexual advances were quickly tossed aside when all it took was one teasing kiss and they were off. The impatient pair were on each other and stripping articles of clothing from their ready bodies. They didn't even bother to go to the bedroom, and started having sex right there in the living room.

Kurt readily responded to everything Sebastian did to him, from his tantalizing kissing to when he fucked him hard against the back of the couch. His delight didn't stop there either; Kurt instantly agreed to topping for his boyfriend next, which they did on the couch this time and the angle they struck was near perfect.

As much as he wished they could keep things going, spending the night toiling away at the showpiece had zapped much of Sebastian's normal endurance.

"Shall we dress for bed?" asked Kurt, who seemed to be in a similarly tired state once they'd taken a quick shower.

Sebastian laughed as he nodded in confirmation, and Kurt led him by the hand to the bedroom. While he was too worn out for more sex, Sebstian managed to pick something out for him and Kurt to wear from his sleepwear collection. And just for fun, Kurt suggested they swap top and bottoms to become a mismatched pair, which Sebastian loved and instantly agreed to.

"So what did you get up to tonight?" Sebastian asked as he pulled his checked woven cotton pyjama bottoms onto his hips.

"I was deep in thought and trying to decide whether to just take the money in my savings or approach my folks and see if I could convince them to let me use it for the deposit."

Sebastian came over to button up the front of Kurt's pyjama shirt. "And how did that go?"

Kurt shrugged. "Not that well… both options come with their own set of problems. If I were to take the money, even when it's practically mine and I know you think I've earned it just from the grief my mom's put me through, I'd technically be stealing."

"Even if you do go and ask them Kurt, and even if you try your hardest to make them understand how badly you want to become a model, they could just tell you no, withdraw the money and then where would you be?" Sebastian wasn't trying very hard to keep the bitterness from his voice. Most of it was aimed at Kurt's parents, or rather his mom, since she was the one who had slapped Kurt. But some of it was because of Kurt himself, and how he hadn't thought to ask Sebastian to loan him the five hundred dollars. He understood that his boyfriend was proud and hated to be in anyone's debt, but that strong sense of independence could be annoying at times.

"I'm well aware, and I know it's a long shot, but ever since I left home, there's been this lingering sense of regret, that, in spite of my attempts to run from it, keeps following me whenever I go. It's taken me some time, but I finally realized that I won't be rid of it unless I face my parents and own up to my own mistakes, instead of just blaming them for my unhappiness. Even if all that will happen is for them to say no and cut me fully off, then at least I'll finally have some closure," Kurt explained.

This was the window of opportunity Sebastian had been waiting for; a moment when Sebastian could offer to help his boyfriend without it being taken the wrong way-or so Sebastian hoped, and there was only one way to find out. It was still easier said than done though, and Sebastian's usual knack for knowing what to say wasn't currently with him.

"Sounds like you've made up your mind then," Sebastian began with, just to test the waters a bit.

Kurt smiled back at him weakly; they were still standing in front of each other. "I have. That doesn't mean I won't question that decision between now and when I face them. In an ironic twist, it's actually a good thing that I have to act quickly, or less I could see myself wavering back and forth. But I need to get back to Shelby as soon as possible, so I'll have to do it in the next couple of days."

_'So much for that then,'_ Sebastian thought. The last thing Kurt needed right now was a reason not to face his parents and be the bigger man. If he did come back empty handed, Sebastian would try to convince Kurt it was okay to borrow the money from him, but until that happened, mum was the word.

"Want me to come with you? You know, as moral support." His offer was a total bluff, which was made very obvious by his smirking grin and mischievous tone.

"Oh, dear god, no," Kurt said hurriedly, visibly paling at the thought, though his horror stricken state didn't last very long. He headed to the side of the bed and waited until Sebastian followed him before slipping under the covers. "I appreciate your kind offer Sebastian, but my parents are not ready to meet the likes of you. Your loud personality, and your talent with backhanded comments would aggravate my mom to no end, and my dad… I don't even know how he'd react honestly, he'd probably just take one look at you and not even register what you are to me. And that's not even touching on the fact that you're sleeping with their son, who up until recently, showed no signs or gave any inkling that he could possibly be gay…" Kurt rambled, pausing to take a short breath. "So, um, no, I say we wait and see what sort of reception I get on my own before I introduce either of them to you."

"If we must," Sebastian said with a dramatic sigh. Kurt rolled his eyes in response but still allowed his boyfriend to snuggle up to him. "Just remember that I'm always here for you, babe; your ever present anchor."

Kurt smiled lovingly at Sebastian and stopped to kiss him before replying. "That's a good thing to know Sebastian, because most of the time I hardly know if I should sink or swim."

"I'm not following you there, Kurt."

"What I'm trying to say is, I'd love for you to be my anchor, Sebastian. Because it means I can go as far as I want, but always knowing that I can never drift too far away. Whenever I need you, I just have to find the link that connects us. I feel so grateful for that, and how you seem to know to give me enough freedom but not to the point that I feel abandoned…"

"I do?" Sebastian asked with a mocking smirk. He'd often been accused of dropping people like a dead weight, or abandoning them too often when things got heavy, so the fact that Kurt thought he was his anchor (he'd honestly said that as a mild joke to lift the mood) amazed him.

"Yes, but I do find myself wondering what I am to you in retrospect now."

"I thought it would have been obvious, Kurt." His boyfriend's faint scowl clear showed it wasn't though; the sincere approach it would have to be then. "You, Kurt, my fine man, are so much more than just my muse…" Sebastian pulled up from his spot resting his chin on Kurt's chest so he could look him in the eye. Kurt cupped the bottom of his chin, adding to the romantic atmosphere and making it easier for Sebastian to speak the words in his heart. "...you're my centre."

He could have elaborated, but it wasn't needed; Kurt already had tears in his eyes.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve 

Even though Kurt had decided he would man up and face his parents, gathering the courage (and the patience) to do so was another matter-and time was not on Kurt's side. Somehow two days had passed since Kurt had met with Shelby. He needed to act, he knew he did, and he planned to, he was just waiting for the best possible moment.

Kurt's stress levels were at an all time high; he had soon learned how having the day to yourself was vastly overrated. Having nothing to do was also terribly boring, and idle hands were the devil's plaything. Not that Kurt had any plans to get up to trouble; his boyfriend was too busy with the showpiece to spare anytime to even send some sexy text messages Kurt's way. Shopping was out of the question too. Being bored and broke had to be the worst combination in the world!

His friends would be finished with school and heading to the studio soon, but Kurt was reluctant to join them there. It was getting so close to the wire that the small jobs Kurt usually helped them with were basically finished. No one had banned him from going there, but Kurt still felt like he should keep his distance for now.

He attempted to busy himself by trying on different clothes in Sebastian's closet, which did work, but only for an hour and a half.

"I suppose I deserve this," Kurt muttered to himself. If he would just stop dragging his heels and go see his mom, then he could sign the contract with Treetop design and start getting modelling work!

Just when Kurt was about to get dressed, his phone rang. _'Oh no.'_ It was Shelby. He froze and eyed her contact name apprehensively, but still hit the answer button. "Oh hello Miss Corcoran…" Kurt really hoped she wasn't a Mrs., and made a mental note to look that up online to find out for next time. "I'm sorry I haven't gotten back to you yet."

"I was beginning to worry that some other agency had been trying to steal you away from me." The hint of playfulness in Shelby's voice told Kurt that she was only teasing him.

"No of course not!" Kurt exclaimed; he wanted to job too badly to joke about it. "I want to sign with you; I've just had to deal with a few unexpected bank issues. But they should be settled by tomorrow and as soon as they are, I'll head straight to the studio to hand in my signed contract-and the starter fee!" Should Kurt be worried about how easily he was able to twist his words to avoid lying outright? Kurt hoped Shelby would buy his excuse. It technically was the truth (as long as his parents gave him the money). If they didn't, well… Kurt would just have to think of something else.

"I'm glad to hear it Kurt, and I'm looking forward to seeing you tomorrow," Shelby replied.

"So am I."

After the call Kurt felt slightly guilty, but also determined to fix things by today. Confidence was key, so Kurt went back into Sebastian's closet to select the perfect outfit for the job. Kurt chose his favourite shirt from Sebastian's store bought wardrobe, which was a botanical floral print shirt in purple by Paul Smith. Instead of pairing the bold print shirt with something a little more subdued, Kurt picked out a pair of bright red straight fit jeans from Joe's Jeans.

_'I should text Sebastian to let him know I won't be coming to the studio for a while,'_ Kurt thought as he looped a light brown belt through his jeans. Hopefully speaking with his mom wouldn't take him all night, but it could.

Already feeling much better, Kurt bravely stepped out of the bedroom and headed to the front door. When Kurt got there however, in walked a woman, who Kurt was already familiar with, and immediately recognized.

"Miss Corcoran?" Kurt said in utter confusion. What was going on? Had she tracked him down? That idea made no sense though, and didn't explain why or even how she had gotten a key to Sebastian's apartment?

Shelby stared at Kurt in bewilderment. "Kurt?" She blinked at him for a few minutes before her eyes widened. "Are you Sebastian's new boyfriend?"

Kurt had barely begun to process Shelby's words when a second woman came out from the kitchen to join them. "I don't think he's here, unless he's in the bedroom… which would be typical Sebastian…" babbled the second woman, who was blonde and extremely pretty. She finally noticed Shelby's surprised expression and followed her eyeline to find Kurt standing there in a similar state.

"Who is this?" Pouty Mouth asked.

The superior tone of her voice instantly rubbed Kurt the wrong way. _'That's what I should be asking you,'_ he thought as he gave her his best judgemental glare.

"This is the young man I've been telling you about, the new male model who's about to sign with my agency," Shelby explained. "It turns out he's also Sebastian's boyfriend."

Now that Kurt's identity had been revealed, the uppity woman, who Kurt hadn't been introduced to yet, gave him a good look over. "You're a lot prettier than Sebastian's usual taste in men…"

Kurt narrowed his eyes at her. "And you are?"

"Kurt, this is Terri, she's an old friend of mine, in addition to being Sebastian's mother."

"But she's so young!" Kurt blurted without thinking.

Little did Kurt know that he had just said the most perfect thing to get on Terri's good side, and she rushed up to give him a joyful hug. It was lucky that Kurt was used to unexpected shows of affection from befriending Sugar, or else he probably would have flinched away. He was still hardly comfortable with the invasion on his personal space though, and waited as long as he could manage before politely freeing himself from her grasp. Once Kurt moved to safer distance, he noticed how Terri appeared to be swaying slightly back and forth._ 'Is she drunk?'_ Kurt wondered in disbelief. Her giddy grin and dreamy eyes seemed to support his theory and he did a mental eye roll. Sebastian had told Kurt all about his mom, and considering that she lived in the same apartment complex as her son, it was amazing this was the first time he'd seen her.

Terri was still gazing at Kurt with adoration, much like Sebastian did when he was in a flirtatious mood; the similarities between the two were quite unnerving. "You're really, really, pretty, Kurt."

"Isn't he just," Shelby agreed; she didn't seem to be as far gone as her friend.

Both women appeared to be more on the tipsy side than completely drunk, Terri being the worse of the two. But that fact didn't offer much comfort for Kurt, who could barely believe he had found himself in such an awkward predicament. If Sebastian weren't so busy, Kurt would have called his boyfriend in for reinforcements.

"Are we making you feel you uncomfortable, Kurt? I bet you're not used to woman flattering you so much." Terri's dramatic pout was back; her sudden mood swings were just as Sebastian had described them.

Kurt shrugged; he figured taking on some of his boyfriend's indifference would help him right now. "It's all right; I've learned not to get defensive over being called beautiful, thanks to Sebastian."

"I see why Sebby asked you to be his boyfriend," Terri said, giggling like a teenage girl. She lumbered her way over to the couch and flopped herself down. "Speaking of him, do you know where he is? He won't answer his phone!"

"He's busy working on the suit for the showcase." Kurt wasn't about to give his exact whereabouts. "I doubt he'll be home for a while yet, probably not until late in the evening."

Shelby sighed heavily, "Of course he is. That boy is never around when I need him. I swear he does it on purpose."

_'I'm sure he does, and with the way you're acting, I can see why,'_ Kurt thought to himself.

"Oh well, better luck next time I suppose. I think I'll go ahead and call a taxi to take me home." Shelby turned to Kurt and flashed him a sympathetic smile. "I hope to see you tomorrow Kurt still, despite this slightly awkward moment."

"I still want to sign with you," Kurt assured, seeing her to the door. Much to his disappointment, Terri, who was comfortably reclining on the couch, showed no signs of wanting to follow her lead.

This was a fucking nightmare! Somehow Kurt had found himself in a situation that was worse than going off to face his mom. He was tempted to just leave, but Kurt didn't like the idea of letting Terri think she could just hang out in her son's apartment alone (even though she did all the time according to Sebastian). There was also the fact that she was semi-drunk, so Kurt closed the door and turned to face her.

Sometime during Kurt's brief introspection, Terri had taken a bottle of wine from Sebastian's collection and was helping herself to a generous glass. "Come have a drink with me Kurt; you and I are practically family, so we should get to know each other."

Given Kurt's history with wine and Sebastian's family (he realized he didn't know Terri's family name), he opted not to try his luck. He still took the glass she held out to him as he sat down on the sofa chair, just to appease her, but he had no plans to drink any of it.

"Shelby is such a horrible drinking buddy; she never even tries half the time anymore. She just babbles on about how she has to work in the morning." Terri shook her head mournfully, nearly spilling her some of her wine. "Hold on to your youth as long as you can Kurt, because before you know it, the best of years your life will be gone and then where will you be?"

It was if Kurt was looking into a window into Sebastian's past; Terri had to be the weirdest adult he'd ever met. No wonder Sebastian had moved out on his own at such a young age. Who would want to come home to a drunken whining person like her? Kurt knew he was probably being too biased with his judgement towards Terri, but he couldn't help himself. Mom issues were nothing new to him, expect Margaret was the complete opposite of Terri. Where Sebastian's mom was childish, his own mother was overbearing, and that was only the beginning. If Kurt were to stop and list their many differences, it could take him all night. He hated to think what would happen if the two women were to ever cross paths: they'd surely detest one another with a blinding passion.

"I take it you and Miss Corcoran have been friends for some time then?" Kurt asked as politely as he could manage, which wasn't much at all.

Terri didn't seem to notice though, and just nodded. "For years: we signed onto the same modelling agency back when we were teens."

Kurt already knew from Sebastian that Terri had once been a model of course, and he wondered briefly if she might have any helpful tips for him. Kurt really didn't really want to prolong the conversation with her, but he needed to say something still. "That must have been interesting…"

"It started out that way! But then everything changed when I got pregnant when I was nineteen. The father was already married, and had a string of mistresses aside from me, but I was young and foolish and didn't know any better. So I kept the baby and threw away my promising modelling career to raise him all on my own."

Kurt knew for a fact that some of her story wasn't accurate; Terri had had a nanny to help look after Sebastian when he was little. It also amazed Kurt that she could talk so shamelessly about Sebastian in front of his boyfriend like that.

"And look where I am now; when people hear the name Terri Giardi, they don't think of her illustrious modelling career. I'm just some washed up mistress who has nothing to show for her life… except one son who has no respect for authority and just does whatever he pleases." Terri made a snort of disgust and chugged down the rest of the wine in her glass. "I should have never gotten together with Sebastian's father! I should have been more careful... " Terri went on to complain. Either she had forgotten that Kurt was there or she simply didn't care enough to mind what she was saying.

Kurt had to resist the urge to throw his own wine glass right in her whining face. He knew if Sebastian were in his shoes he would have just coolly ignored her.

Unfortunately for Kurt, Terri's rant was far from over. She sighed again and refilled her glass with more wine. "You're so lucky that you don't have to worry about getting anyone pregnant Kurt, women have it so rough." She paused for a moment, moving her glass in circular motion as she appeared to be deep in thought. "I hope you're still using protection with Sebastian though, what with his track record with men and all. You can never be too careful when it comes to STDs."

"Of course we use protection!" Kurt snapped. That was it, Kurt was too angry to ignore Terri's many offending comments anymore. "Safe sex is a must for Sebastian." He didn't expect for Terri to know about her son's sexual history, but he was still pissed off that she thought he would act so carelessly. "Do you ever know your son at all?"

"It's not my fault, Kurt! I try to, but Sebastian just pushes me away," Terri said in her defense.

Kurt didn't buy a word of what she was telling him though. _'I doubt you ever tried to understand him.'_ Oh how he wished he could throw that accusation in her face, but after what had happened with his mom, he knew better.

For some reason, Terri took Kurt's silence on the matter as a sign that she could continue her childish ranting. "I'm so sick of everything; my lover barely sees me anymore and when he does it's just for sex and the only times he speaks to me is to say how tiring I am…"

_'Imagine that,'_ Kurt thought sarcastically. Couldn't she hear herself and how selfish she sounded?

"Everyone I talk to keeps telling me to break off with him, but how can I? I'd have nowhere else to go!"

Anger continued to build up in Kurt until he couldn't take it anymore; he ceased listening to her high-pitched wailing and got to his feet. At first Terri was too wrapped up in her own little world to notice, which suited Kurt just fine. He had to get out of here; the longer he stayed, the greater of risk of him saying something he would regret.

"That's it." Kurt stormed over to the front door to put on a pair of shoes.

"Wait, where are you going?" cried Terri, who had finally realized her audience was abandoning her.

"I'm not going to sit here a second longer and listen to you insult Sebastian by blaming his birth for the bad decisions _you've_ made," Kurt threw at her, showing not so much as a hint of sympathy in his blazing eyes.

"But I thought you said that Sebastian won't be home for hours?"

"I am not going to stay here with you just because he's your son." Kurt grabbed the set of keys from the bowl by the front door; he really hoped she would be gone by the time he returned. He was tempted to warn Sebastian, but he didn't want to distract him from the showpiece right now.

Kurt was about to silently exit of the apartment, when something brought him back, a need to give one final word before he would walk away. "Just so you know, I don't want to hear you say that you wish Sebastian had never been born in front of me again. He's very important to me, and without him, I never would have found the courage to change my own deplorable life. So instead of whining about how unfair things are, maybe you should stop blaming others and own up to mistakes you've made."

No matter how irritating Terri was, Kurt still had no right to lecture her, and yet he really didn't care.

"I'm not-" Terri tried to argue, but it was too little too late.

"Sorry, we're done here," Kurt interrupted, in a voice so snarky he would have made his boyfriend proud. This time Kurt didn't even bother to look at Terri to see her reaction, he just closed the door behind him and speed-walked down the hallway.

He couldn't let things between him and his own mom get that bad. Even if the circumstances were completely different, Kurt would use his experience with Terri as a way to urge him back home to see Margaret. Whatever happened once they came face to face, Kurt would keep himself together and act like the adult he wanted her to finally see him as.

_

Armed with a newfound flush of stubborn determination, Kurt marched (well, after he took a bus) all the way to his family home. He didn't stop, not even once, he was that sure of himself. He hadn't bothered to send Sebastian a text to fill him in on what had happened. It would be better for him to wait until the confrontation with Margaret was over and done with. Even if things went badly, Sebastian would probably do his best to mend Kurt's wounded soul.

In the back of his mind, Kurt wondered what would happen if he managed to get through to his mom; would he move back in with his folks? Hadn't he just told Sebastian how much he wanted to live with him? What would his boyfriend think if he were to admit that he was considering going back home? Kurt was getting ahead himself. There was no point wondering about the many what ifs when he hadn't even talked to her yet.

His dad wasn't due back from his month-long business trip for another two days, so Burt wouldn't be there to weigh in with his own thoughts. That was fine, because Kurt had always felt estranged from his dad. He knew his mom far better, so he had a better idea of what to expect from her, though he still wasn't sure what she would say to his request today.

Kurt went up to the front door and rang the doorbell; he didn't want to walk inside without any warning. It soon opened to reveal his mom, who looked exactly the same (which made sense, he'd been gone for just over a week) until she saw Kurt standing there.

Suddenly Margret's normally stoic expression changed to one of utter surprise. Kurt had never seen her so shaken up before.

"Hi, Mom," Kurt said; he didn't know what else to open with.

Margaret's face deadpanned one again and she pursed her lips tightly together. "Do you honestly think you could just come back home and act like nothing has happened?"

"No. I came here to see if we could see eye to eye with one another. If you're unable to do that, then I'll just go." Kurt had barely begun to turn his body away when Margaret reached out to touch her son's arm and stopped him.

She clutched the fabric of his rolled up sleeves. "Please don't go. I'm sorry Kurt, I'll listen to you." Margaret let go of Kurt's arm and took a deep breath as she stepped back through the opened door. "Come inside… please."

As much as Kurt longed to be on his own, the child inside of him urged him to follow his mother into the house. He wasn't so far gone emotionally that he was crying, but he knew better than to hope he could keep himself from breaking down emotionally.

Mother and son quietly walked into the living room and sat down on the couch at both ends. Kurt turned his body to look her in the eye. He still wasn't used to seeing her looking so vulnerable; he found it terribly distracting. Along as he didn't let it affect what he'd come here to say, then he'd live with it.

"I think we can both agree that we both said a number of things out of anger before. And while I'm not going to apologize for most of them, I am sorry for the way I came out to you. I didn't want it to happen like that…"

"At first I thought you were lying to me and had only said you were gay to shock me. But as I thought about it more, it began to make sense. I recalled signs that I had noticed when you were younger and hadn't thought too much about." Margaret placed her hands on her lap to apparently stop herself from fidgeting. "So you're sure then?"

"I'm sure, Mom, I'm gay." The only reason Kurt had bothered to answer her sincerely was because he could tell she already believed him. Which meant a lot to him, though their talk had only just begun, and there was a lot of bumpy ground to cover yet.

"If that's who you are Kurt, then that is all that matters to me. You're still my son, and I love you the same as I always have."

Kurt let out a loud breath of relief. "Thank you." He smiled at her; this was the first baby step that they'd both needed. "I means a lot to hear you say that."

"Did you think I wouldn't?"

"I don't know. I honestly wasn't sure how you would react to the news. At first it was hard for me to accept it, and even when I did, I still refused to come out and tell you and Dad. I kept telling myself it wasn't important. My sexual orientation didn't have anything to do with my school work, which was basically all you, Dad and I ever talked about with each other." Kurt realized his words could be taken the wrong way, so he tried to erase the bitterness in his tone. He unfolded his arms away from his chest and he felt some of the tension in his shoulders drain. He needed to be honest, but not only that, Kurt wanted his mom to see things from his side, so she could understand where he was coming from.

"The three of us may be a family, but in many ways, we've been strangers to each other… or at least that's what it's felt like to me. We've lived under the same roof for nineteen years, but somewhere along the line we just stopped trying to connect anymore."

"So how do you think we can change that, Kurt?" Margaret asked.

Oh she was good, Kurt had to give her that. "I think what needs to happen next is for me to tell you about the circumstances that brought about such an abrupt change in me."

To Kurt's surprise, Margaret smiled lightly at him. "I agree, and I promise not to interrupt you and listen to the full story."

It was far better progress than Kurt had expected them to reach so early in their discussion. So Kurt started his story and explained how he first encountered Puck and Unique on the street. When he got to Sebastian, Kurt didn't mention anything too personal (he found it too embarrassing). But he did try to add whatever insight he could into his emotional states at the time. He told her about when he'd put on that first Pardis Bise creation and had been so affected when he'd seen his reflection. How his appearance had looked so different, but so right. Then he went on to explain what had happened since he'd left home and how his search for work had landed him an unexpected modelling job, and that he needed some money to get started with them.

Margaret listened intently to her son, and patiently waited when he began to stumble with his words towards the end of the tale.

When it was over Kurt finally dared to look at his mom again and she had her usual poker face. It made him wish that he hadn't included the part about the starter yet, it had just come out as he'd rambled on.

"Thank you for sharing all of this with me Kurt. Things are much clearer now. I still wish you had come to me at the time, but then, I didn't voice any of my own concerns to you either."

"I guess we're both guilty there," Kurt said, smiling weakly.

"From what you've just told me, I take it that Sebastian is the boyfriend who you told me you stayed with the first night you left?"

Kurt nodded; he had a feeling she would put two and two together on and guess the nature of his and Sebastian's relationship on her own. "Yes, he is."

How could Kurt explain Sebastian to his mom; should he just list his positive traits? It was a start he supposed. "Sebastian is such a remarkable person; his talent and passion for life is awe inspiring." He was blushing now, but he power through. "He's really been there for me, and I like him a lot." It felt too sudden (and embarrassing) to tell his parents that he was in love.

"This modelling Agency who wants to sign with you…" Margaret began.

Kurt was fine with her changing the subject. "TreeTop design."

"Are they credible?"

Kurt nodded. "Yes, I went over the contract with Sebastian, who said it was quite fair and I trust and agree with his assessment. I also looked up the company online, and what I did find was equally promising. And most of all, I not only trust Miss Corcoran, but Mrs. Wright as well. You're more than welcome to look over the contract, and Dad, if either of you wants to." He should have brought it with him, but with the shake up of Terri's arrival he hadn't thought about it.

At first Margaret merely shifted herself on the couch; as if she were taking an extra minute to consider her options (which seemed likely). "I am willing to let you use the money in your savings account for the deposit Kurt, but I have terms I would like you to seriously consider."

This sounded promising, but Kurt had no idea what these so called terms could be, and that unnerved him. "What about Dad?" he asked; Margaret might be the boss of the family, but Burt was still the main provider.

"I would need to consult with him of course, but I am confident Burt would agree to everything I have in mind."

"All right, what are your terms?" Kurt asked.

"I would want you to finish your freshman year at your current school; I'm not expecting you to get top grades, before you ask. As long as you pass, then that will be enough for me. And while I won't go so far as to force you, I would like you to at least consider transferring to a different college. You should have a backup plan Kurt; getting a proper education is important. If the president of TreeTop design is willing to accommodate for school as you said, I think it would be wise for you to take the opportunity. You can pursue your passions more, so in the case that you discover that professional modelling isn't for you, you can have other options, and venues to explore."

Kurt was amazed that his mother was being so accommodating; he hadn't even considered going back to school or enrolling somewhere else, but he was now. He had been put on sick leave, so Kurt technically could go back to school, even if it meant he'd have over a week to catch up on, and exams to make up. There was just one month left of the term though, and he only needed to graduate. With the show at SAIC so close, Kurt would have time to study again, if he were to push himself enough. Doing so while he was also taking on modelling jobs could be a bit tricky, but then, summer break would soon be here. It was a little late to be applying to new schools though, especially if he were going in a totally different scholastic direction.

"If I were to considering enrolling in a different college, you do realize it might take me some time to be able to apply," Kurt said, just to see how much his mom would be willing to compromise.

"As long as you're seriously considering it, and keep me informed on your plans, then I see no problem with that."

"What if I decided not to go, and instead take on modelling full time?"

"That will be your decision to make in the end, I just want you to properly consider your options. I think you could come to enjoy college if you find one more suited to you." Margaret inched closer to her son and lightly touched his hand. "Having a backup plan doesn't mean you're accepting failure Kurt, it means you're being sensible."

Although Kurt thought she could have been just a tad more sincere with her words, he could tell she was trying her best. As much as he wished to deny it, Kurt knew his mother had many valid points. His freshman year hadn't been all that bad; he'd loved the rush of success after he'd gotten top scores on exams. _'Imagine how much better it would feel if I were doing something I was actually passionate about.'_

Of course, there was always a chance that even after transferring to a different school, Kurt might not find his calling. He might be no better off than when he began, but that was true for most things in life. The one thing Kurt knew for sure was that he would never find out if he didn't even try. Part time model and college student didn't sound so impossible to Kurt, which was a good sign in his mind.

"So in this scenario where I go back to school, am I also moving back here with you as well?" Kurt questioned, not willing to reveal that he'd even consider doing so until he heard his mom's answer.

"It's what I wished would happen yes, but again, I am not ordering you to come home. If you choose to live elsewhere, then I would expect you to remain in contact with us, and drop by to see us now and again," Margaret explained. "Because there would be little point to our agreement if we were to treat each other as strangers."

Kurt rolled his eyes, though he instantly regretted it. He needed to stop fixating on to the negativity in her words all the time. "As far as going back to school, that I will agree to right now. But as for my living arrangements, I'd like to think on it more… and I want to talk to Sebastian about it also. I'm staying with him at the moment, so he's as much a part of my decision as I am. I also think I should talk to Dad-face to face-before I make up my mind too."

"I think that is a good idea as well; I haven't told him about what's happened with you yet. I was waiting until he got home to."

Kurt's eyes widened. "He has no idea? None at all?"

"I am not going to make excuses. I will tell him as soon as he comes home. Unless you'd prefer to do that yourself."

Kurt felt a wave of panic at the idea of telling his dad-whom he felt so distant from-everything that had happened to him. He felt his breath quicken and he had to wipe his mind of the mental image to avoid having a panic attack. "I think it would be better if you told him, and I can add on when I see him." Kurt just hoped he'd be ready by then.

"Can you stop by tomorrow sometime after dinner?"

Kurt nodded. "Yeah sure." It was at that moment that Kurt remembered that he promised he would see Shelby tomorrow to sign the contract. He wanted to kick himself. Why had he thought he could fix things with his parents in a day. "Um… the thing is Mom, I told Miss Corcoran I would have the funds tomorrow when I'm supposed to go to her office and hand in my signed contract."

"You can go ahead and take the money now," Margaret replied.

"Are you sure I should… before Dad knows anything?"

"You can leave Burt to me. You can always pay us back when you're able, but you don't have to. I'm just giving you the option if you feel it's needed."

What Kurt needed to do was give himself some time to let the events of tonight sink in, because so much of what his mother had said was hard for him to believe yet. Kurt had never been so glad to be proven wrong before, even if it meant he wasn't sure how to deal with this new turn of events.

"I think I'll head off now. I have a lot to consider. I'll still come by to see you and Dad tomorrow though," Kurt said as he stood up from the couch.

Kurt's departure was more than a little awkward; his mom followed him to the door but neither one said very much to the other. All Kurt could manage in the end was a hurried 'bye' before he made a hasty retreat. Once she had closed the door, Kurt's pace slowed and he just wandered down the street. His mind was too preoccupied to notice anything around him.

Before he knew it, Kurt had gotten all to way to the same bus stop where he had been when he called Sebastian after the big fight with his mom. He decided not to ask his boyfriend to come pick him up this time, opting to head to the studio on his own.

When the bus came ten minutes later, Kurt got up, boarded it, and dug some change out of his pocket to pay for his ticket to Paradise.

_

After a long day's work, Sebastian was finally ready to take a much needed breather and rest for a moment. But the weary designer had barely closed his eyes before something stirred him back into consciousness again. He blinked and glanced up to see that Kurt was standing over him and looking broody.

"Hey there, look who finally decided to show himself," Sebastian announced with overdramatic-and obviously fake-snarkiness. So much for taking a power nap then, though he couldn't think of anything better to lose sleep over than his alluring boyfriend.

Too bad Kurt had his 'I've got something on my mind' face, which was just as well; Sebastian was too worn out to get up to anything sexual right now. Maybe by the time Kurt had gotten off his chest whatever had him so on edge then Sebastian would be more up for it.

"I've had an eventful day," Kurt replied with that delicious sounding snark Sebastian loved so much.

Sebastian shuffled to one side of the chaise lounge to invite his boyfriend to join him, and Kurt slumped down beside him and let out a deep sigh. "Want to talk about it?" He slipped his arm around Kurt's shoulder, almost on instinct, and Kurt rested his head against him.

"If you don't mind…"

"I have time; I was on the ball today and made awesome progress on the suit." He'd originally done this in the hopes that he and Kurt could spend the night having mad sex once he'd taken his nap, but all was not lost.

"Did you go see your mom?" Sebastian was pretty sure he had, going on the dull numbness in Kurt's usually bright blue eyes. He did a quick check for any signs that Margaret had struck him again and was relieved that he found none.

Kurt nodded. "Yes I did… but not before your mom showed up at your apartment first."

"Fuckit all! I'm sorry you were subjected to her on your own, Kurt!" Sebastian swore; he'd known it was only a matter of time before Terri's intrusive nature led to her and Kurt meeting, but he'd hoped to be there when it happened. He swore again, this time under his breath, using every bad word he could think of as he cursed her to hell for being such a thorn in his side. "I hope you had the sense to kick her out as soon as she arrived," Sebastian muttered, even though he knew Kurt would never do such a thing.

"You don't need to apologize," Kurt pointed out with the roll of his eyes before answering his boyfriend's question. "She wasn't alone; Shelby Corcoran, who it turns out is a friend of hers, was with her. She didn't stick around for very long though, which I was totally fine with… but the same could not be said for you mom. Terri firmly planted herself to the couch and helped herself to the bottle of wine she'd swiped from you."

"Of course she did," Sebastian moaned, running a hand down his face. He'd learned to hide the good bottles and leave cheap decoy wine out for just that reason. "I'm almost afraid to ask what happened after she started drinking…"

"Continued drinking," Kurt corrected. "She was already semi tipsy before her uninvited arrival."

This was turning into a fucking nightmare; Sebastian tore himself off of the chaise lounge, leaving a resentful boyfriend glaring at him as he went. Sebastian was too tired to keep his usual mask of indifference, and since Kurt was the only one there, he honestly found no need to.

No amount of profanity could properly vent his frustrations. When Terri was just meddling with him he could put up with it (at least to a certain point) but when Kurt was included, he couldn't sit so idly by.

"I have half a mind to go wake up her drunk ass and start yelling at her," Sebastian muttered, his rage building with every new minute.

"There's no need for that; sure she said some things I didn't care to hear, mainly about her horrible opinion towards you. But I survived; I'm no stranger to having family issues, and in some ironic twist of fate; encountering Terri gave me the final push to go face my own mother." Kurt stood up and took a few tentative steps towards Sebastian, who flashed his boyfriend a helpless look to let him know that physical comfort was exactly what he needed right now.

Kurt wrapped his arms tightly around Sebastian's waist from behind and kissed the back of his neck. "I left before things could escalate; Terri could still be at your place because of that though."

"It doesn't matter," Sebastian quickly dismissed. He let out a heavy sigh as Kurt began to massage his tense shoulders. "How did it go with you mom?"

"Much better than I thought it would," Kurt began.

If that were true, then why was there so much unease in Kurt's voice? Sebastian could tell when his boyfriend was hiding something. He listened to Kurt as he started to tell him how he had met his mother at the door and she had practically begged him to come inside. Sebastian hid his surprise when Kurt got to the part where Margaret agreed to letting Kurt use the money, but it lasted for only a second when Kurt went onto add her her 'terms'. Sebastian wasn't about to voice his thoughts about Kurt possibly going back to to school for the term, at least not until Kurt was done. But the wait for Kurt to bring up whatever had him acting so nervous seemed to go on forever. Instead he just talked for a while about how amazed he had been that his mom had been willing to compromise.

"She even went onto suggest that I should look into enrolling into a different school of my choosing, and she wasn't even ordering me too!" babbled Kurt, who seemed to have forgotten all about whatever the fuck had him looking so distraught a few minutes ago.

In his weakened state-both from being pissed off at Terri and tired from working on the showpiece-Sebastian foolishly let his cocky attitude take control. "Could you do us both a favour Kurt, and spare me the effort of prying for whatever truth you're reluctant to share with me and just come out and say it?"

Sebastian swore he felt Kurt's dagger eyes searing through the back of his head. "I had been trying think of a tactful way to tell you, but have it your way then," Kurt remarked, pulling himself away from Sebastian.

_'Shit,'_ Sebastian thought. That had been a very bad call on his part, but he knew apologizing would only make things worse at this point.

"I'm considering moving back in with my parents," Kurt finally admitted.

"Didn't we just agree on how we both wanted to live with each other?" Once Sebastian got started it was almost impossible for him to hold back his smug comments. He felt no need to either, nor was he about to hide his displeasure from his boyfriend. Sebastian wasn't used to his emotions getting the better of him like this. It scared him how afraid he was of losing Kurt. That if he were to become too independent he might realize he didn't need Sebastian after all. Which was complete bullshit, but Sebastian couldn't help feeling that way still.

"I said I was considering it Sebastian; I haven't made my mind up yet. I wanted to talk to you first."

"Okay, let's talk then." Sebastian managed to keep the snark out of his voice, but just barely. He leaned against the edge of the bar and turned to face Kurt. "Why are you considering moving back in with your folks? I'm not trying to provoke you anything, I'm just trying to understand why you would do that, after you just told me how much you wanted to live with me."

"I do want to live with you," Kurt said. "But there's always been a part of me that's thought I haven't earned that yet. We haven't been dating for very long Sebastian, I know there's no rule to when a couple should or shouldn't start living together, but it's a very big step for us. Neither one of us have been in a long term relationship before. I'd hate for our good intentions to blow up in our faces in a few months…"

"And you honestly think that going back to the very home you were so badly wanting to escape is the better option?"

"I see now that I tried to convince myself that my home life was worse than it actually was just to justify leaving it so abruptly… and my mom has already made great strides in making up for her actions from before. I know better than to let her rule my life as well; I think there's a very good chance that things would be much more bearable this time. And if it turns out that it's not, and I was right to leave, then at least I'll know for sure." Kurt walked over to the bar and took a seat one stool away from where Sebastian was leaning.

Sebastian was willing to admit (at least to himself) that what Kurt was saying held merit. He'd had his own concerns about their being able to live together too; he'd just been putting those concerns on hold so he could focus on getting the showpiece finished on time. Who could say if their domestic bliss-that was already feeling the strain a bit-would endure such a change in their dynamic. There would be countless other things to take Sebastian's attention away from his boyfriend, and once Kurt went back to school, his free time would be greatly decreased as well.

"You can always spend the night at my place whenever you need a break from them too," Sebastian pointed out, smirking. He still felt disappointed that Kurt was so keen to leave him, but he knew Kurt's mind was pretty much made up at this point. Kurt was just checking whether Sebastian was ok with the change: he wasn't, but he wasn't about to tell Kurt what to do.

"You bet I will. In fact, having you in my life is one of the biggest reasons I think I can survive living back home." Kurt smiled lovingly at Sebastian and brushed his fingertips against his boyfriend's arm. "I want you to know that I'm not moving back home to escape you, I'm doing it for us as much as I am for myself. I love you… and as much as I hate the thought of not sleeping next to you every night, I think it's the smarter option for us right now."

Sebastian turned so he could look Kurt in the eye; there was so much fear of rejection on his boyfriend's stunning face. It nearly brought him to tears, but he swallowed the rising catch in his throat. "I guess I see your point…" Hardly mature words, and yet Kurt seemed to recognize how hard this was for Sebastian.

Kurt squeezed his hand. "Thanks."

"For what?"

"For understanding why I need to do this, and letting me, even when I know deep down you wish I weren't…"

Sebastian shrugged, albeit unconvincingly. "Just because I want something badly doesn't mean I should ignore what's best for you-or for us." The atmosphere in the room was growing too heavy for his liking, so he chose to lessen the tension would good old fashion humour. "We'll still keep having sex whenever we get the chance though, right?" Sebastian's face broke into a big mischievous smirk. "Because I don't think I could cope if not."

Kurt snorted. "There's no way I'm giving up sex with you, Sebastian. I want to get really good at it after all! We'll probably have to play it by ear-at least until the show happens-but I'm sure there will be plenty of chances."

"Maybe you can spend the weekends with me on some basis? Bi-weekly maybe?" Sebastian suggested, though he really wasn't expecting them to make any sort of promises yet.

"You might want to hold your horses there; I still need to talk to my dad and then there's the whole ordeal of introducing you to my parents…" Kurt muttered, his words trailing off as he seemed to become lost in thought for a moment. "But I don't care what they think of you, I'm not about to give you up. I'm too in love with you to do without you, and I'm not just talking about sex."

Kurt's eyes darted back up and met Sebastian's, locking into a shared gaze for a few moments before they couldn't contain themselves for any longer and shared a tender kiss. Sebastian hugged Kurt tightly, pressing his head against Kurt's neck. When he was finally able to pull back his boyfriend took his hand and laced their fingers together. Without needing to say anything, Sebastian led them to the front door so they could head back to his place.

"You should apply to SAIC, Kurt, think how much fun it would be if we went to the same college. I think you'd like it there actually."

Kurt grinned at him. "I'll definitely consider it."

Once they made it to Sebastian's convertible, Kurt barely let his boyfriend climb inside before he kissed him again. It was pretty clear that the heartfelt discussion was over, and the prospect of spending the rest of the evening having passionate sex was looking pretty bright. Sebastian couldn't think of a better send-off than giving his boyfriend the best night of his life.

_

"I knew I was forgetting something," muttered Sebastian when he and Kurt tumbled through his apartment door into the living room and found his mom asleep on the couch.

"You poor baby," Kurt cooed as he cupped his boyfriend's face with his hand. "How about we head into your bedroom and I take your mind off of your mommy issues?"

Sebastian knew better than to hope he could wake Terri up and get her back to her own apartment in a timely matter, so he just left her where she was. "Sounds good to me; we can practice keeping quiet." He had no real concerns about waking up his mom, but keeping their voices down during sex would probably be a good idea at Kurt's house. "I think you'll find the fear of being caught in the act is quite the turn on…"

It took Sebastian making it all the way to the door of his bedroom to realize his boyfriend hadn't followed him there. Frowning in puzzlement, Sebastian turned back to see what Kurt was over by his mom at the couch. He watched with mild amusement as Kurt carefully lifted the throw blanket by Terri's feet and draped it over her sleeping frame.

His act of compassion finished, Kurt hurried over to Sebastian's side, where he received a peck on the lips. "Come here you," Sebastian growled seductively, pulling Kurt inside the room and closing the door behind them. "Such an act of kindness- however unworthy the recipient may be-deserves to be recognized.. and rewarded."

"It's about time," Kurt said with a smirk, and he quickly joined Sebastian in hastily undressing each other so they could get to it.

Sebastian had never been more glad to forget about his parents and the trouble they caused then now, and that was all because of Kurt.

_

Thanks to Sebastian's valiant efforts in thoroughly reminding Kurt just how much he loved having sex with him, Kurt was able to fall into a deep dreamless sleep. So when he was rudely awoken from that sleep by the jarring noise of a phone alarm, Kurt was out for blood.

"Turn your fucking phone off," Kurt muttered to the blanket-covered lump beside him on the bed. When Kurt got no response he smacked Sebastian hard on the ass, and either the movement, or the loud slapping sound that followed (or both), finally woke him up.

"What?" Sebastian slurred.

"Your phone. Turn. It. _Off_." Kurt repeated in the most menacing voice he could manage.

Sebastian made a snort of derision. "Like I would pick such a commonplace ringtone for my phone's alarm."

Kurt listened for a moment and realized that Sebastian was correct; it was his phone that was ringing over and over. But that didn't make sense; Kurt hadn't set his alarm the night before, so that had to mean someone was calling him. His eyes snapped open at the realization and he muttered profanity under his breath as he rolled over to the nightstand to try to locate the damn thing.

"I can't believe she'd call me this early," Kurt grumbled when he finally found his phone and managed to touch the answer button before the call ended. He had half a mind just to voice his annoyance in her calling him at such an ungodly hour, but first off, he actually didn't know the time, and secondly, it would hardly be a good start to turning over a new leaf with her. "Is everything all right?" Kurt decided to go with, though he didn't try to hide the annoyance from his voice that much.

"Good morning Kurt, I know you weren't expecting me to call you at seven in the morning, but I felt that I should point out to you how there are only so many days left in the school year," Margaret explained, without even pausing to let him respond. "So if I were you, I would go back to class starting today and save yourself yet another day you would otherwise have to catch up on. I would offer to call ahead and let the faculty know you've recovered from your _illness_, but then, I'm sure you would tell me that this isn't high school and you are fully capable of looking after yourself." Kurt had nothing to go on but her voice, but he swore she was enjoying herself.

Kurt wasn't sure if he preferred this new side of her that chose cunning manipulation instead of outright ordering him to do things.

"Get a load of her, she's a Hummel for sure," Sebastian said with an amused grin.

"Shh!" Kurt hissed at him. "No, not you, Mom, sorry. I'll head back to school class today then." He hadn't planned to, not before he talked to his dad, but he figured now was good as ever. The sooner he caught up on what he'd missed the sooner he could get his life in enough order that it wouldn't risk overwhelming him. Thank goodness that there was still over a week until the show at SAIC, or else Kurt would have been worried he wouldn't be able to deal with all this change.

"Please call me to let me know how things go, would you, Kurt?" Margaret actually surprised him by how sincere she sounded with her request. It was enough to make Kurt's initial anger dissipate, though he still felt somewhat cranky from being woken up and forced to act like a mature adult all of a sudden!

"Sure. I'll talk to you about it when I drop by tonight." Kurt had planned to do so anyway to tell her of his intentions to move back home, as long as she agreed to his own set of terms (most of which concerned Sebastian, or were related to him in some aspect). He said his goodbyes and ended the call, lying back first down onto the bed.

"At least your mom's not sleeping off a hangover on your couch," Sebastian said.

"A fair point." Kurt allowed himself an indulgent moment kissing his boyfriend on the lips before he forced himself up and out of bed. "I guess I'm heading back to class today…"

"I'm kinda jealous of how you'll get to return as a whole new man, one who's comfortable in his skin and sure of himself." Sebastian sat up on the bed and watched Kurt get ready for the day. "Think you'll use this opportunity to officially come out there?"

"I dunno… I'd like to, but I'm not sure I could handle the added pressure right now. I'm not about to go back into the closet per say, but at the same time, I'm not going to walk onto campus and shout 'Hey, Kurt Hummel is back and is as gay as they come!' Ideally, I'd like to return without much drama, and if people have the nerve to ask me about my sexuality directly, then I'll try not to make a big deal out it and just give them an honest answer."

"That's very mature of you, Kurt."

Kurt gave his boyfriend a playful eye roll; he knew it was in his best interest to return to school today, but that didn't mean he had to like the idea. It felt as if he were going backwards, even if finishing the term would hopefully lead to better and bigger opportunities. "I've got a super full day today now; class, my mom and dad, and I need to go see Miss Corcoran and hope that my suddenly going back to school won't be an issue for her and she'll still want to sign me on." If she hadn't told Kurt she was okay if he did go back to school then he would have truly been worried. Instead he was just dreading the possibility of having to to tell her his whole story to explain himself.

"I doubt it will be an issue Kurt, not when you told me how accommodating she was with you." Sebastian snuck ahead of his boyfriend so he could claim the bathroom and Kurt was fine to let him. As Sebastian showered Kurt spent the wait picking out an outfit to wear to school that day, when Sebastian reappeared he hadn't gotten very far, but Sebastian was only too happy to come to his aid.

The navy with white dot print shirt Sebastian ended up choosing was one his own creations, and the Ted Baker check waistcoat he'd pieced it with (had Kurt stumbled onto a fetish of his?) complemented each other with extremely eye pleasing results. After Kurt swiftly rejected the black faux leather pants Sebastian had presented (which he was pretty sure was done as a joke), the couple eventually came to agree upon a pair of charcoal grey slim fit pants.

Kurt stood in front of the mirror and tried to look as natural as possible; Sebastian was already dressed and ready-and looking so fabulous with so little effort it was almost unfair!

"You're lookin' so bewitchingly hot that I wouldn't be surprised if you're propositioned by someone the second you set foot on the school grounds, babe," Sebastian complimented as he put the finishing touches by adding a vintage buckle with a crown design to the front of Kurt's belt.

"That sounds like something that would happen to you more than me." Kurt wouldn't be surprised if anything along those lines had taken place to Sebastian at one point. But there was no time ask about it (not that Kurt wanted to anyway); there was just enough time for Kurt to head off to school and not be late for his first class.

"I know you've got a full schedule, but I still hope I'll get to see you at some point today," Sebastian said with a sensual pout.

Kurt nodded. "I'll contact you throughout the day to let you know how everything goes, and I'll have to come back here to get my stuff in any case. But if possible, I was hoping you'd drive me to my house today… and if we're lucky, we'll get to have some private time together afterwards."

"I can't make any promises, but I should be able to squeeze you in later on in the evening," Sebastian teased, fluttered his eyelashes like Kurt often did whenever he was in a flirtatious mood.

Kurt would have made some sort of saucy comeback, when he suddenly realized anything. "Damn," he swore, raking his hands through his hair.

"Problem?" Sebastian asked.

"I'll need to go get my textbooks from home." He'd really hoped to avoid going back until later in the afternoon. Kurt sent a quick text message to his mom to have his books ready for him so he could just pick them up.

"I can take you there in my car if you like."

It was still early in the morning, so Kurt didn't have to worry that detouring to his family home would make either of them late to class. It would also save Kurt the trouble of having to bus all the way down there (and back) just to quickly grab his textbooks. Both facts were enough to convince Kurt to graciously accept Sebastian's offer, and the couple headed out of the bedroom together.

As soon as the pair made it to the living room, they discovered that Terri was nowhere in sight. Kurt's cheeks flushed red; had their sexual escapades from last night gotten too loud for her? Kurt swore he'd managed to keep himself pretty quiet.

Sebastian did a quick perimeter check just to be sure she really was gone and the big smirk on his face upon his return confirmed that she was. "That's one mess over and done with, but she'll be back." He opened the front door to his apartment and ushered Kurt into the hallway.

To prove to Sebastian that he wasn't about to hide the nature of their relationship, Kurt had his boyfriend drop him off at the campus parking lot. No one seemed to notice Kurt as he got out of the red convertible, which felt like something sort of a miracle to him. Sebastian didn't bother to prolong their goodbye and drove off, just as Kurt had hoped.

He looked at the building before him and forced himself forward. In some odd way, Kurt felt as if he was coming back from the front lines of war. Which was silly, but Kurt couldn't shake the metaphor from his head as he stepped inside the same school he had so stubbornly wanted to escape.

At first Kurt was too wrapped up in his thoughts to notice the turning heads as he made his way to his first class of the day. Only when the whispering got louder did Kurt realize the attention he was causing, and he tried his best to ignore most of it. A few people actually welcomed him back, which triggered Kurt's old suspicious tendencies.

Kurt knew his return (and his new image) would probably cause a bit of stir, but he still found the attention surprising. Most people barely bothered to acknowledge his existence; it was funny how even the smallest hint of drama could change things in an instant.

It came no surprise to Kurt that the first person who bothered to actually approach him instead of just gossiping about him was Blaine.

"Oh, hey, Kurt, welcome back. It's nice to see that you're feeling better," Blaine said in his typical polite and friendly manner.

"So am I," Kurt replied, trying his best to put on a charade as well as Blaine had, but his response didn't feel as nearly convincing. "Now I just hope I have enough strength left in me to pass all of my classes." Kurt let out a nervous chuckle; was he just imagining it or had even more people started staring at him now that he was talking to Blaine?

"I think I have just the thing to help you with that," Blaine muttered as he fished for something in his brown leather bookbag.

He quickly pulled out a notebook and then handed it to Kurt, who took it and opened it up to see what could be written inside. Kurt skimmed the words inside and didn't bother to wait for Blaine to reveal its contents himself, or even look at his expression for possible clues. "Are these summary notes on everything I missed?" Kurt blurted out in amazement; he looked over the top of the notebook to see Blaine nod in confirmation. "Thank you so much, Blaine, this will make it so much easier for me to catch up!" Kurt flipped through the pages, feeling so relieved even though he knew he still had his work cut out for him. "It's funny, seeing it all condensed on page makes it feel like I didn't really miss that much…"

"Well, you were only gone for a week and a half," Blaine pointed out.

"It feels like a lifetime ago."

"I imagine it was an eventful eleven days for you then?"

"Oh, you have no idea."

Any chance for Kurt to elaborate on what had happened during that span of days (although Kurt really hadn't planned to say much out in the open like this) was interrupted when the professor walked in and Blaine voiced a quick bye before going off to join his usual group of friends. Kurt willed himself to give his full attention to the lesson. He soon discovered that his week and a half absence was still long enough to feel utterly lost. So he checked his summary notes whenever possible and things slowly began to come together.

Kurt only wished that Blaine was in every one of his classes, but three out of five wasn't so bad.

Back at the Atelier, the members of Paradis Bise were in full work mode, and through their combined efforts the night proved to be quite productive. There were still a few setbacks because the countless accessories that Sebastian had designed were proving difficult to transform into reality. But the jacket was nearing completion, so Sebastian considered that a triumph on its own.

Sebastian had just finished another hemline on the jacket when he heard Sugar, who was sitting at the table to his left, let out a deep sigh. "I wonder how Angel's first day back at school went. He hasn't answered any of my texts…"

"I thought he would have dropped by before now," Unique said.

Both women turned to look at Sebastian, who at first pretended not to notice them as he put the finishing touches on the detail work on the jacket's right sleeve. Getting both sides of the jacket to match perfectly was such a bitch. But such was the price of perfectionism. Sebastian heard Unique cough lightly at him and he finally looked up and smirked at her and Sugar.

"Kurt has a full plate today: not only did he go back to class, but he has to go sign the contract with Treetop design, and tell them that he's a part time student now. Then, as if that weren't enough, he's going to talk his estranged dad, and somehow find the time to pack." Just saying it all made Sebastian feel tired.

Even with Kurt's busy schedule, he had still managed to call up Sugar and fill her in on what was happening with him. Because if she were to suddenly hear how he and Sebastian would no longer be living together, her subsequent reaction to the news could have easily blown things out of proportion. At Kurt's request, Sugar had shared the news with Unique and Puck, and (not at Kurt's request) Sebastian had gotten grilled by the two women for more than twenty minutes before they were assured that he and Kurt were fine.

"I'm surprised you're letting him move back in with his folks so easily, Sebastian," Puck remarked.

Sebastian raised a curious brow at him; so there was one last person to convince then. Oh, he could have some fun with this. "I don't own him Noah; Kurt is free to go, do and even live wherever he pleases." It had been too long since Sebastian had gotten a chance to mess with anyone-and things were just getting started. "You're in a serious relationship yourself, so you should know the importance of talking things through."

"Here we go," Unique said, rolling her eyes.

Deep down Sebastian knew it was immature of him to vent his frustrations out on Puck like this, but it just felt so therapeutic. He might understand why Kurt was moving back home, but that didn't mean he wasn't allowed to feel grumpy about it.

Puck might have really been in for it if not for an interruption. Truthfully, Sebastian was all snark and no bite, but his frustrations were getting the better of him, and he would have kept talking if Kurt had not made an appearance.

"Saved by an angel," Sebastian whispered to him with a wink.

"Hey all, sorry I'm here so late," Kurt said in greeting.

_'He looks tired,'_ Sebastian thought, noticing the dark bags under Kurt's eyes. But the weak smile on his face meant that he wasn't too concerned for his boyfriend's wellbeing. Instead he just wrapped a supportive arm around Kurt's shoulder once he was close enough and kissed his cheek lightly.

"It's all right, we knew you would eventually show, didn't we, Noah?" Sebastian asked, smirking deviously at his friend.

Puck grinned right back at Sebastian with matched smugness. "I'm just glad finally you're here Kurt. Seb was worried sick; he wouldn't shut up about you." He shook his head, as if he were embarrassed for Sebastian's pitiful conduct.

"Well there's no reason for any of you to worry; I'm still going to be your model for your show, and I will remain your friend after it's over too. It's thanks to having real friends like the four of you that I'm able to take these new big steps in my life to begin with." Kurt told everyone.

"How did the meeting with Treetop design go? Are you a bona fide model now?" Sebastian asked.

Kurt nodded. "Amazingly, yes. I explained things to Miss Corcoran and after she heard it all she still wanted to sign with me. The fact that I'm going to school again will mean I'll get less work of course, but she's already putting out feelers to modelling gigs and I have complete faith her in ability. Meanwhile, I'm just going to try to catch up on class and achieve a peaceful coexistence with my parents now that I'm moving back home again."

The next hour was spent sitting together drinking tea and while everyone tried to boost Kurt's waning morale. Sebastian did his fair share of course, though he mostly just ended up cracking jokes to lift Kurt's sullen mood. Once their mugs were empty and Kurt showed signs of recovery, the couple headed back to Sebastian's apartment to collect Kurt's things.

Kurt didn't bother to speak much during the drive; he just listened to Sebastian rambling on about how things were going with the show piece.

"Can you pull over for a minute, Sebastian?" Kurt asked as they were nearing his house.

"You're not gonna walk the rest of the way from here with all your stuff are you?"

Kurt rolled his eyes. "No, I just want to tell you something and I don't want my mom or dad showing up and interrupting me."

"If you insist." Sebastian pulled over to the side of the road and shut the engine off; the neighbourhood was quiet and void of people-the perfect setting for a heartfelt discussion. He watched as Kurt took a deep breath and turned to face him.

Whatever Kurt planned to say, it was serious enough that he was obviously having a tough time getting it out. As much as Sebastian loved seeing his boyfriend adorably fumble his words, he decided to help Kurt along by breaking the ice himself.

"You do you realize that Puck was lying and I actually wasn't worried sick about you all night," he pointed out, smiling playfully to keep the mood light as possible still.

Kurt dipped his head down and chuckled,"I figured as much."

"It's only natural that we're going to miss one another, even if we both know that you moving back home is the right step to take."

"I never thought I would grow so accustomed to someone sleeping beside me at night in such a short span of time. But I did, and now I find myself wondering if I'll be able to sleep on my own anymore…"

The fact that Kurt could confess such a deep personal fear without any trouble completely amazed Sebastian. Even though he trusted Kurt, and wanted to open himself up emotionally to his boyfriend, he knew he hadn't reached that point just yet. He still wasn't used to longing to be with someone so badly, or loving them with such a fierce passion that it risked taking precedence over everything else. What had happened to the independant man that cared for no one?

"It's not like you're leaving me by going home; we'll still be together even if we're no longer living in the same place," Sebastian said, changing the subject.

"And you are my anchor after all, so I'll need to keep you close to make sure I don't drift too far away." Kurt leaned over and kissed Sebastian tenderly on the mouth, and the two shared a much needed hug.

Sebastian clung tightly to Kurt, allowing himself an indulgent moment before he made himself let go. It would probably do them both some good to spend some time apart. If Sebastian's rocky emotional state was any clue, it would take a bit of time for him to properly adjust to the many changes Kurt had brought along with him.

"I'll be ready to pull you back whenever needed, babe," Sebastian said with a wink.

"How did I ever survive without you?" Kurt flirted back, batting his eyes until Sebastian kissed him again.

Both men knew better than to try the Hummels' patience by delaying Kurt's meeting with his parents for any longer. So Sebastian started the car back up and pulled out to start down the road again. The trip was short and soon the pair had made it to Kurt's house. The outside lights were on, and there were two cars parked in the driveway. Sebastian saw Kurt give a cute little sigh of relief as he parked his convertible on the curb next to his house.

It didn't surprise Sebastian that Kurt was keeping tight lipped (literally). Kurt's mouth was pursed together, and his glazed over expression seemed to suggest that his mind was miles away. Sebastian got out of the car went to the trunk to take out all of Kurt's bags. Kurt simply watched him from a few steps away, though he did smile (albeit weakly) when Sebastian brought them over to him.

"You ready?"

"I have no idea, but I won't let that stop me."

Sebastian was about to give his final goodbyes, when he heard the front door open and he and Kurt turned at the same time to see a middle aged man, who could only be Burt Hummel, Kurt's reclusive father, step through it and slowly make his way towards them .


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

Kurt's worst nightmare was coming true: his dad and Sebastian were about to come face to face without Kurt having any chance to explain himself. If it weren't for the fact that he knew his mom had told Burt that he was gay, he wouldn't have been able to face the awkward situation at all. He still wished he could grab Sebastian by the hand and make a break for it, and drive away in his convertible.

Unfortunately, this was real life and Kurt knew he had to stand his ground and face his father.

"Dad…" Kurt said in a strained voice; it was impossible to hide how helplessness he felt.

Burt's eyes had remained glued on his son since he had appeared, and he didn't even so much as look at Sebastian when he neared the couple.

It was like Kurt facing a wall; Kurt had absolutely no idea what his dad could be thinking. Was he angry, or just displeased that Kurt had taken so long to arrive. Or was he trying to keep an open mind and finally treat his son as an adult. At least he wasn't saying anything to Sebastian, though ignoring him outright didn't mean he approved of him, or the nature of his relationship with Kurt.

Sebastian (who might as well been a statue-he was being that still) seemed to finally have reached his limit. He nervously fingered the collar of his dress shirt, and then loosened the knot in the tie, as if it would make it easier for him to breath. "I think it's time I left," Sebastian muttered.

As soon as Kurt nodded at him in agreement, his boyfriend wasted no time in making a hasty retreat. He hurried off to his car and climbed inside the seat, not bothering to say anything else (but who could blame him) before he drove off down the road.

Kurt didn't mind this at all, in fact he was glad Sebastian had left so abruptly; none of them needed to face that hurdle yet.

Now alone, father and son came to stare at one another; Kurt was close enough in height to Burt that they were eye level. Oh, god, this was endless, and if Kurt didn't say something soon, he could pass out from sheer nervousness!

"Has Mom…" Kurt began, but his words fell flat as his stress began to reach an alarming new level. He was _not_ going to have a panic attack now; his folks weren't even aware of just how often they happened to him over the past few years and he wasn't about to tell them now.

"Yeah she told me, about how you're gay and all… I'm going to be honest with you Kurt, it came as a pretty big surprise to me." Burt rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. "I'm not saying that you being… gay… is a problem or anything, I just… had no clue at all."

Kurt understood that; he hadn't given either of his parents any inkling to his sexual orientation whatsoever. No matter how unsure he had felt about finally coming out to his dad, having his mom tell him-when Kurt wasn't even there-would not have been his first choice. Hell, it wouldn't have even been his tenth choice.

"What about the rest?" Kurt wished he had called his mom to find out what she had and hadn't told him. "I'm going to tell you the whole story regardless of what you know; I'm just not sure what I should cover first…" It was no use, Kurt couldn't hold back the resentment he'd built up towards his dad over the years. He couldn't even remember the last time they'd spoken more than few words to each other. Not only was Burt often away due to work, but he and Kurt were completely different people with nothing in common. Usually the only thing they discussed were Kurt's scholastic achievements.

"Just talk to me, and say whatever you need to, Kurt." Burt's words were hardly encouraging, but they truly seemed to be from the heart (or as best as Kurt could tell, which wasn't much).

Out in the cold night air (he didn't want to go inside and have to deal with his mom too), Kurt, in a spur of the moment decision, was finally ready to speak the words he'd so desperately wanted to tell his dad. "I know you did your best to provide for mom and I, and doing so meant you had to work long hours. I can only imagine how much you've had to sacrifice as well… but there have been so many times when I've wished you were around more. I barely saw you, even back when I was a kid. You were never around when I needed you, so I guess it's hard for me to believe that you're finally here and finally ready to have a full on discussion with me."

The stoic man that Kurt was so used to seeing (usually at the dinner table, or in the living room on his way to bed) melted away to reveal a man who seemed full of conflict. Burt broke eye contact with his son for a moment and took a few steps away, only to come right back.

"I'm not trying to put all the blame on you, but this is how I feel, Dad," Kurt added, hoping it would help them start the healing process a little easier.

"I don't know what to say Kurt, but I know better than to just make up excuses for why I wasn't around more. Somewhere along the line, I was so bent on making a better life for you and your mom-the type I never had when I was a kid-I lost sight of what was important." Burt bit the bottom of his lip, just like his son often did whenever he was holding back strong emotions.

Kurt saw a lot of himself in his father's struggles; the way that he darted his eyes around, and shuffled his feet. It was very odd for Kurt to see these responses on another person, and it made him realize that his dad was just as human as he was. Burt Hummel wasn't just the father who Kurt barely knew, he was also a husband, a dedicated worker and most importantly, a person who had regular feelings, hopes and dreams.

"I look at you now, standing in front of me, and I can't help but think: where has my little boy gone? The one who used to beg me to play tea party with him? When did you become this adult who I don't even know. That became super clear when I came home tonight and your mom told me how you had dropped out of school, are trying to be a model and are gay. Hearing all that was a real eye opener, but no matter how surprised I was about that last one…" Burt took a step closer to Kurt, who didn't pull away or show any aversion to the move. "I need you to know that if that's who you are, then there's nothing I can do about it, and I love you just as much."

Kurt smiled as his dad laid a hand on his shoulder and gave it a small squeeze. He wasn't crying, yet, but that didn't mean he wasn't moved. Hearing his dad accept him, even when Kurt could only imagine what it must have been like to have it all sprung on him without any sort of warning, was more than he could have ever dreamed of.

"Thank you, Dad," he said, his voice cracking under the strain of keeping himself together.

"You don't need to thank me Kurt," Burt replied.

"I know it's going to take us some time," Kurt sighed; he had no idea what he should even say. "It's true that we have a lot of catching up to do, which won't be easy, considering how little we know one another. Maybe if we take things one day at a time, and give ourselves time to adjust… we can manage well enough. I have a lot of my own issues to work through too… but I'd like to think it's not too late for us."

"There's no time like the present. Your mom and I talked it out, and I'm good with the terms she set with you. As long as you finish your freshman year and at least seriously look into continuing on with college-at a school of your choice, but I still want it to be a good one-then I'm okay with you pursuing modelling, and using your savings for the deposit."

"That's good to know, because I just signed my contract with Treetop designs tonight-part time of course."

Burt nodded. "Yeah I figured you would."

Kurt doubted that, but he saw no reason to argue about it.

"It's time for the Hummels to have a long overdue family meeting; Margaret's probably dying to know how things between us are going. Then, as long as everything we cover in our meeting goes well, maybe you and I can sit down and just talk about stuff? You know, to start the process of getting to know each other better."

"I do need to study tonight still, but I can make the time for that. Just as long as we leave some things-such as my boyfriend Sebastian-for another day." Kurt swore that the tension in Burt's shoulders lessened after hearing this, which Kurt got and fully agreed with. Whatever headway he and Kurt had made so far, neither of them were ready to breach the subject of boyfriends just yet.

Kurt's first day back living at home with his parents went far better than he could have hoped. The cold friction between Kurt and Margaret had even thawed somewhat, but there was still a ways to go until there could be a full reconciliation. When it came to Burt, Kurt found himself holding an actual conversation with his dad over breakfast. They mostly talked about Kurt's new modelling job, and then how he was also being a model for his friends' college fashion show. With his home life becoming easier to bear already, Kurt set his focus on his studies as soon as he was off for the day. He knew better than to hope he would avoid stress altogether though. His new job, along with his duties as Paradis Bise's model, and his social life that included real friends and a boyfriend on top of that, meant that Kurt's life was going to be very busy for the unseeable future.

At least Kurt could no longer complain that his life was boring and mundane. Full of determination, Kurt gave it his all, and while he knew he wouldn't get top grades on his upcoming make-up exam, he was pretty sure he'd pass decently enough. One consequence he hadn't bet on was that a whole twenty-four hours had gone without seeing Sebastian at all. Kurt had thought it was better for them if he didn't drop by the studio in the evening, and Sebastian, whom he had called shortly after class was done, had agreed with him (a little too easily).

By the end of the night, Kurt felt worn out but he refused to go to bed without hearing the sound of Sebastian's smooth voice for more than two minutes.

"Hey babe, how are you holding up?" Sebastian answered, almost immediately after Kurt called him.

Kurt was practically beaming with love and happiness, even if Sebastian couldn't see it himself (they should give video chatting a try next). "I'm keeping my head above the water so far. God I forgot how much time studying takes up. How are things doing on your end; is the suit almost done?"

"If tomorrow is productive as today was, then I should have it finished by tomorrow. In fact, do you think you can find enough time in your busy schedule to stop by for a fitting?"

"I'll make the time." Kurt went into his phone's calendar to schedule it in just to be sure, and he got a big surprise. "Sebastian, the show's in five days! Are you guys going to be able to make it?"

"We've got no choice but to; once the jacket's completed then that just leaves the top hat, cane, and boots to finish."

When Sebastian broke down the remaining pieces like that, it seemed more believable that they would finish. Except that Sebastian was no ordinary designer. Kurt knew his boyfriend would refuse to _half-ass_ (to quote his exact words) for anything-not even time constraints.

"Meanwhile, I'll do everything I can to ensure I wear your beautiful creation, and show my kingly grace on the runway."

"I knew I could count on you babe. Not to be self entitled, but I really need to get back to work. The lace I'm trying to apply to the boots is being a total bitch."

Kurt let out a childish moan. "Aww, can't you talk to me for a little longer? We've barely flirted at all…"

"Can't be done Kurt, you know I lose all sense of time when we talk, and I hardly have the time to make it interesting for you right now either."

Kurt grumbled, "Fine then, I'll be the bigger man and let you get back to your work. But as soon this is show is over you and I are overdue for some serious sexy time, mister."

"Done and done," Sebastian said with a laugh, and he was still chuckling when Kurt ended the call.

With no other alternatives to distract himself (or none he wished to resort to) Kurt gave in to his plight and began his sleepless night alone. After what felt like an hour (but was actually only eighteen minutes) Kurt got up and began to go over the notes Blaine had made for him. It was better than lying awake staring at his ceiling for hours on end. He'd done enough of that over the years already, and his time was far too precious to for him to waste now.

_

The promise of getting to see Sebastian helped Kurt counteract the tiredness he felt the following morning. Kurt pushed onwards, ate his breakfast, and after he threw together an outfit that met Sebastian's approval (via text message), he headed off to school.

Upon his arrival, Kurt discovered that rumours about his sudden return were running wild and some people didn't even bother to clam up when he was around. He knew any attempts to clear his name and face the accusations about him (which he didn't even want to hear) would be pointless. So he took the attention in stride and brought his emotional barriers around him. He wasn't going to shut out everyone as much as he had before, but he needed to keep his head down until things blew over. It shouldn't be long before a juicier scandal came along and Kurt and his mysterious illness would turn into ancient history.

His first exam was almost upon him, and there was no room to rest when his second exam-and the rehearsal at SAIC-would happen soon after. At Shelby's request, Kurt had agreed to waiting until the show was over before she would book him any major jobs. As much as Kurt hated the delay on his modelling career, he understood her caution, and he was quite grateful for it now.

The only contact Kurt got from Sebastian was a few sporadic texts throughout the day, but that's all the time either of them could spare right now.

When he finally made it to the studio, Kurt was surprised to find only Sebastian inside. "Hey," Kurt said as he put down his heavy book-bag on a nearby table. "Where is everyone?"

Sebastian didn't bother to look up from his workstation. "I sent them home; they were threatening to revolt. Apparently I get excessively ruthless this close to a deadline, lucky for them we've made enough headway that I can do without them right now."

Kurt was hit with a feeling of deja vu; hadn't he walked into a similar scene a few days ago? "Well I'm here as you requested, Sebastian," Kurt said in a saucy voice, swaggering over to where his boyfriend was still sitting. He dragged a finger down Sebastian's right shoulder and arm flirtatiously. "So pray tell... what do you need of me?" He was beginning to see why Sebastian enjoyed speaking so fancily; it was pretty fun (at least when flirting was involved).

"Would you be a dear and take off your clothes?"

The lack of seduction in Sebastian's tone took all the fun out of Kurt's response."What, out here in the open?"

Sebastian finally switched focus to his boyfriend, who was now scowling at him warily. He chuckled at the display and stole Kurt's right hand, kissing his knuckle softly. "We're the only ones here, so there's no need to be shy." He didn't go on to kiss Kurt anywhere else, though his lingering (and hungry) glances made it pretty clear that he wanted to. "I'd offer to make it an even show, but that would be counter productive."

"I'll forgive you for the moment, and I'll take a raincheck." Kurt grinned at him; if he played his cards right he could probably get Sebastian to do a sexy striptease for him. "I find your passion for your craft very admirable, and wildly alluring…"

Sebastian held up his finger in warning and placed it over Kurt's lips to silence his boyfriend. "Don't encourage me, because I'm on thin ice as it is here."

Shut down, Kurt began to undress himself in the most non enticing way he could manage, starting with the front of his button down shirt. When his boyfriend didn't offer his services and actually went back to his work station to go over the show piece on the table, Kurt hurried things along (since there was no reason for caution now). Once only his boxer briefs and undershirt remained, Kurt waited for a moment and then cleared his throat to catch Sebastian's attention.

The first thing Sebastian did was flash Kurt a charming smile, but none of his usual flattery followed it. He just held out something for his boyfriend to see.

"Is that a thong?" Kurt demanded.

"I believe it is Kurt, imagine that." Sebastian's smug side had come out to play; too bad Kurt was in no mood to humour him.

There was so little fight left in Kurt that he just sighed and took the tiny excuse for an undergarment without protest. Sebastian would probably go off on on some long rant about how he didn't want any visible seam lines on the stage, even when the likelihood was slim. As long as no one but him and Sebastian knew he was wearing a thong, then he could live with it. Or he sure hoped so; Kurt might have to wear it a bit before hand to get used to it. _'But not at school.'_

Sebastian watched with interest as his boyfriend casually took off his boxer-briefs. Even when Kurt wasn't trying, just the sight of his deliciously naked body was enough to instigate Sebastian's libido. Before he knew it, he was scanning up and down Kurt's body, drinking him in with his eyes. Fuck! What he wouldn't give to have an extra hour. The show couldn't come fast enough for him.

When Kurt stood back up after stepping into the thong and pulling it onto his hips he just smirked at his boyfriend's lustful gaze. "Put those bedroom eyes away Sebastian; you're making me hard already."

As much as Sebastian loved seeing Kurt being next to naked, getting to see him dressed in the showpiece would be equally gratifying-just in a different sort of way. He was actually glad that Kurt wouldn't be able to try on the fully completed ensemble with all of the accessories yet; he wanted to save that special moment until the day of the show.

"Will you allow me to do the honours, babe?" Sebastian asked as he held up the dress shirt.

"Go right ahead; we both know you wouldn't be satisfied if you left it to me," Kurt replied, with a playful grin.

Sebastian took a step towards his boyfriend and was about to put his right arm through the sleeve, when he saw Kurt take a deep breath and shut his eyes. He waited for a moment, but Kurt didn't open them again. "What the fuck are you doing?" he asked, unable to stop himself from snickering.

"I don't want to see myself in the outfit until the day of the show. I want my reaction to help set the right mood for when I need to walk down the runway," Kurt explained matter-of-factly, as if his answer made total sense.

Unfortunately, dressing Kurt when he insisted on keeping his eyes closed proved too difficult for Sebastian-or rather, his waning patience-to handle. He was having a hard enough time resisting Kurt's splendid body, and the temptation of surprising Kurt with his touch proved too much for him.

Sebastian let out a cry of frustration; that was it, he'd had enough of this. "Okay this isn't working Kurt; you're gonna need to open your eyes." Except Kurt didn't, which annoyed Sebastian and he couldn't even show it by rolling his own eyes at his boyfriend. "Don't look down at the suit, just focus on my handsome profile. We're not coordinated enough together to do this by ear yet."

Once Kurt's baby blues were back on display, Sebastian managed to make quick work of getting the waistcoat on him. The trousers were next and Sebastian willed himself to be on his best behaviour as he helped Kurt stick his leg in them.

"Won't the tight fit of these pants be wasted? What with the long tails at the back, and then the knee boots?" Kurt asked as Sebastian did up the fly at the front and then the fastening button.

"It's still no excuse for me to go the loose fit route Kurt; I refuse to take such lazy shortcuts." The more sexually frustrated Sebastian got; the more snark came out-both in his words and even the tone of his voice. Before things could escalate, Sebastian made himself focus on the tactile sensation of the fabric of the suit against his fingers. He let his mind quiet down as he threw himself into the task. No detail was overlooked; the position of the lapel collar had to be perfect, and it took him a while to get it to look just right.

When Sebastian finally was happy with everything, an hour and a half had passed, and both men were feeling the strain.

As soon as Sebastian told Kurt he was free to move, he began to stretch his arms, no doubt in attempts to wake up his tired muscles. "You really are thorough when it comes to your designs," Kurt said, switching to some light lunges (as much as the snug fit pants would allow anyway).

"There's a lot at stake; this time it's not just for my own amusement. My whole reputation at school is riding on the show, Kurt." He couldn't blame Kurt for not understanding the show's importance, mainly because Sebastian hadn't gone into much detail about it. He'd done that intentionally too; Kurt had enough pressure on him as it was, so he could wait until the show was over to learn the whole truth. Sebastian knew he'd pay for keeping Kurt out of the loop, but he was confident that he would understand his reasons in the end.

For now Sebastian was fine with keeping his boyfriend ignorant, which also kept himself from remembering the many expectations that were weighing heavily on his own shoulders. Kurt's presence was helping him in so many ways, but hindering him in others. This time it was a mix of both, which meant when Sebastian saw Kurt bat his eyes at him, he didn't see the harm in letting themselves have a bit of flirtatious indulgence.

Kurt draped his arms over Sebastian's shoulders and the two brought their mouths together to share a passionate kiss. The wave of pleasure that washed through Sebastian's weary body was so electric he was unable to resist it. He grabbed at Kurt, pulling their bodies together as their first kiss led to a second, and then an even more thrilling third. This was getting dangerous, and yet that only made it hotter! It was no use, Sebastian was too swept up in the sensation of Kurt's lips on his to put the brakes on and call it quits while he still could.

"Sebastian… wait… we should ease up or else we could end up popping a bead on the suit," Kurt warned; his voice was strained in his attempts to speak through his heavy breathing.

"You're right, we should take the suit off before it gets damaged then," Sebastian muttered under his breath in Kurt's ear.

Sebastian knew he was playing with fire, but he couldn't help himself. He had barely begun mapping the erogenous zones on Kurt's body; there was so much left to discover. Kurt was so ripe for the taking too, and it was clear he wanted his boyfriend just as badly. But no amount of urgency would make Sebastian rip off the suit he'd lovingly created, so he slowed his pace. Sebastian's skilled hands carefully undid the buttons and then peeled the garment off of Kurt. He then gently laid it on the table they had been leaning against.

Now that the most delicate piece of the suit was safely off of Kurt, Sebastian allowed himself to turn the heat back up again. He still made sure not to get too rough as he continued to help Kurt undress, though his aid wasn't really needed. Kurt was turning the act into a sexy slow motion strip tease, and Sebastian's heart was pounding in his chest from the sensual tease.

By the time Kurt had removed everything save for his new thong, Sebastian was livid with lust. But instead of moving closer, Kurt stepped away and reached for his original outfit.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Sebastian demanded. "You're just gonna put your clothes back on and we'll go our separate ways for the night?" Sebastian was had gotten far too used to getting his way when it came to sex. Any past times he'd been busy with designing, even during his senior year of high school, had never meant he'd have to forgo sex on a regular basis.

Kurt put his hands on his hips, which created quite the picture, with his current state of undress. "I thought you wanted to spend the evening working on the cane and tophat? Or that's what you told me when we were texting one another earlier today."

Sebastian shrugged the notion off and took a step towards Kurt; it wouldn't take much to get him on board. Surely there was enough time for one fevered fuck before Sebastian had to go back to being a responsible adult.

"It's not like I don't want to…" Kurt began, pausing as Sebastian's hands found their way to his neck. He didn't even bother to get to the point when Sebastian let his mouth take over.

Sebastian kissed and sucked on Kurt's neck, hearing his boyfriend's moans of pleasure from the contact. He ran his hands down Kurt's shoulders in a teasingly stroking motion; Sebastian felt goosebumps from on his bare skin.

"Sebastian I…" Kurt stopped to take a deep breath. "Oh, wow that feels so good…" He had to be seconds away from giving in.

Instead Kurt pulled back, literally tearing himself out of Sebastian's arms.

"Now is not the time to play hard to get, babe," Sebastian flirted, hoping that was the reason for Kurt's sudden sudden cockblock.

Kurt frowned at him and he picked up his pants again. "I'm distracting you from your work Sebastian, and that's not suppose to happen." He continued to redress as soon as his pants were fully on, ignoring his boyfriend's visible displeasure. "This is becoming a habit for us and I'm not enjoying always having to be the voice of reason."

Since Kurt's accusations were justified, Sebastian didn't fight them and redirected his anger to someone more deserving: himself. Sebastian, in his usual taste for dramatics, pushed himself up and away from the table with an array of profanities.

"I'm sorry you have to see me like this, Kurt," Sebastian said, pacing back and forth just to vent some of his frustrations.

"You're not invincible," insisted Kurt, who was now fully dressed and seemed to consider himself fit to get close to his boyfriend again.

Except Sebastian knew better this time, and while he never thought he'd choose emotions over sex, he was now. But not before he did something about his frazzled nerves, and with his usual first option out, Sebastian went over to the bar's liquor cabinet (which Puck was forbidden to open on his own) and poured two generous shots of vodka. He took one for himself and left the other for Kurt, though he would be more than happy to drink it himself in case his boyfriend wasn't planning to join him.

Sebastian swallowed down the strong liquid and turned to look at Kurt as soon as he was done. "You bewilder me Kurt, whenever you're with me, I'm struck with such a fierce possessiveness. I want to keep you all to myself, as if the outside world doesn't deserve to see you beautiful face."

Kurt hugged Sebastian from behind, wrapping his arms around his waist. "You can't cage me up; I need to be free, or else my beauty would wither and die."

The sarcastic tone of Kurt's voice was so obviously intentional Sebastian barely waited until Kurt was finished before he snorted in response.

Kurt gave Sebastian a moment to get a hold of himself and claimed the remaining vodka shot. "Feel any better?"

"Somewhat, thanks, babe," Sebastian replied on exhale.

"Should I go then, to make it easier on you?"

Sebastian reached out to take Kurt's arm before he could physically leave. "What if I don't want you to go? What if I want you to stay here with me?" It was a childish request, and yet Sebastian couldn't stop himself from asking.

"What kind of centre would I be if I were the one to lead you astray," Kurt countered with a regal air worthy of royalty.

_'One that drives me crazy, every single day,'_ Sebastian thought.

"The day of show will be here before you know it, so try to keep it together-or rather, in your pants-until then okay? I'm not saying it's going to be easy, because it sure won't be for me, but we're both strong willed individuals, so I'm sure we'll manage somehow."

If there were more than five days to go, Sebastian would have contested Kurt's assessment, or maybe not, since doing so would go against his cocky sure-of-himself reputation. The show had been his priority long before Kurt had come into his life, and he needed to remember that. In less than a week his months of work (not to mention that endless convincing he'd had to go through to even be allowed to participate in the show) were about to be put the ultimate test.

He didn't want to lose, not like had for his high school design competition. He wanted his chance to prove he had what it took to be a world renowned designer.

_

Aside from a few encouraging texts and quick phone calls, Sebastian spent the next two days without the company of Kurt. If it weren't for the fact that they had talked at all, the busy designer would have thought that his boyfriend was intentionally avoiding him. But since that wasn't the case, Sebastian followed Kurt's lead and threw himself into his work like never before.

Not being able to release tension in the way he preferred led Sebastian to skip one of his classes midway through the day just so he could detox. He headed up to the roof, and when he climbed the final step he soon discovered that someone was already there.

"Why if it isn't Mister Noah Puckerman," Sebastian said, grinning smugly as he strutted over to where his friend was leaning against the railway.

Puck looked up just as Sebastian claimed the spot beside him. "You're skipping class? That's new."

"Like you can talk."

"Shows what you know; I have a free period right now and I've caught up on work, so I decided I would take some well-deserved downtime." Puck took a drink from his can of Red Bull and turned his head back to the view of the school grounds below. "Unlike some students, I've worked way too fucking hard to throw it all away and start slacking off. And I need to keep my grades up or I could lose my scholarship."

Sebastian leaned forward on the railing, and crossed his arms over the edge. He must be more tired than he thought, or else he would have come up with a backhanded remark to dish at Puck. Oh well, he supposed he could try sharing his feelings with a trusted a friend-since Puck was conveniently around. "I needed some time to think; I haven't had a free moment in ages. Skipping class was the only way I could steal back a few minutes to myself."

"If you're expecting me to leave then think again; I was here first so I have dibs, Smythe," Puck warned.

"You can stay, so long as you're willing to be of use to me." Puck eyed him warily and Sebastian chuckled. "That wasn't an euphemism-amazingly…"

The fact that Sebastian wasn't using any of his normal antagonizing comments seemed to put Puck in a more accommodating mood. He reached down to pick up his second, unopened can of Red Bull and handed it to Sebastian, who took it without a single snarky word. "Trouble in Paradise, Seb?" he asked, with mild interest, but that was a lot for him.

For all his taunting of Puck, Sebastian knew that he wasn't the brainless punk that his appearance often implied. He was a complex and compassionate young man who normally liked to keep his more endearing qualities hidden, which made sense, since Puck had grown up in the ghetto-more or less. On the streets, things like creativity and empathy were weaknesses that were too high a risk to show. Right from the beginning Sebastian had respected Puck, even though the temptation to mess with him (usually by coming on to him) was often too fun to pass up.

"If you've noticed then it must be worse than I thought," Sebastian said, sighing heavily.

"It's kind of hard not to, though not in the way you're probably thinking. You're missing Kurt so much that it's messing with your head."

Sebastian found it amusing that Puck could sum up his state in so few words. "A basic assessment, but one that's more or less true." There was a lot more of course, and some of it didn't even include Kurt, like Sebastian's issues with trust that stemmed from having such pathetic excuses for parents.

"Want some advice from someone who's been in a serious relationship for longer than a month?"

"By all means, bestow your wisdom upon me, Noah, and don't hold back for my sake either," Sebastian urged. There had been so few times that he and Puck had sat down and had a private conversation like this. Before Sebastian had gotten together with Kurt, he wouldn't have thought there was anything of interest Puck could possibly teach him about. _'Which just goes to show how unpredictable life can be.'_

"It's obvious that you're used to being top dog, even when it comes to yourself. The first thing I thought after we met was 'Now here's a guy who gives zero fucks about anyone.' You're used to getting your way, by any means, and as soon as person isn't useful to you anymore, you drop them without a second thought. I used to think you'd never have what it took to love anyone but yourself, but then I got to know you better as the months went by. Not by a whole lot, since you usually keep your real self hidden behind your snug exterior. I actually didn't think much of it at first, but then I started to see little hints. I'd see you chatting with Unique and go after anyone who dared to look down upon her, or how you'd shower Sugar with genuine affection. Even with me and all the times you've come on to me, or insulted me, if there was ever a sign that you'd gone too far you would stop on your own."

"I had no idea you could be so observant, Puck," Sebastian said, yet again using humour to downplay the mood.

"Oh, trust me, there's a ton of things I don't understand about you, Sebastian. Not Sugar though, she got you right from the start." Puck smiled at the thought of his girlfriend, letting the part of him that was head over heels in love with his girlfriend show. "Sugar always said that if you were ever going to fall for someone, you'd do it fast and head first. She said, 'Sebastian Smythe is not the pinning from afar type.'" Puck's impression was pretty weak, but his high pitch voice still made Sebastian chuckle.

"I've always been a passionate person, when I love something, such as fashion or designing, it takes over my whole life. I didn't think that would ever happen with a person though, shows what I know, huh?"

Puck finished off the rest of his Red Bull and tossed the empty can to the floor. "Been there. When I first realized I was in love with Sugar I was scared shitless. My fourteen-year-old mind thought that if Sugar and I started dating, she'd have me by the balls in no time-and she'd keep them in her designer purse. I couldn't stand the idea that people would see us and think I was some whipped boyfriend and I would lose any of the street cred I had left."

"You obviously rose above that boyish fear and got together with her, so I'm curious what changed for you?" Sebastian asked, with surprising interest. He'd thought he'd heard everything there was to know about Puck and Sugar's fairytale romance, but he realized now what he'd been told was mostly one sided.

"I realized-even before she told me she felt the same way-that I cared about her more than I cared about what other people thought. Sugar is the best thing that's ever happened to me; if she weren't in my life then I'd either be in jail, or a high school dropout that cleaned pools for a living or something."

"You're that serious about her then?" Sebastian knew this already just from the seven months he'd known the couple.

"I'm planning to pop the question once we graduate from college. It might happen sooner than that, but I want to buy her a ring myself and that will take me some time to save up for. I know she won't care how expensive the ring is, but that doesn't stop me from wanting to give her the world." Puck rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, and when he finally dared to look Sebastian's way, he saw that his friend was almost moved to tears. "Don't you fucking tell anyone Sebastian! If Sugar gets wind of this she's not going to want to wait. She'll want to start planning our wedding right away!"

Sebastian slapped Puck hard on the back. "Your secret's safe with me, Noah, but keep that in mind when you're considering who should be your best man."

"What about you? Could you see yourself walking down the aisle with Kurt someday? Gay marriage is legal in Illinois after all, so there's nothing in your way there."

The question made Sebastian's smirk change into a unsure frown. "I've honestly never given a second thought to marriage. I mean, I'm obviously glad more and more states are finally coming around, even if not everyone is willing to embrace marriage equality. I've always lived my life in the fast lane, so the idea of marrying someone always seemed like the end of line to me. I was sure I'd make a pretty shitty husband, since my attempts to be a decent boyfriend sure didn't win me any awards." The idea of settling down and conforming to social convention by getting married and having a family seemed so commonplace to him. Sebastian was all for equality, but that didn't mean he felt obligated to want to get married just because he could.

"We've never talked about it, but I get the feeling that Kurt's the type of person who would want to get married someday. He's all for romantic gestures and marriage is the biggest one of all." He couldn't say for sure though, and Sebastian had no plans to bring up the subject of marriage; regardless of his own personal thoughts, it was way too early for that.

"Who knows, maybe someday you'll end up wanting it," Puck said.

"Maybe, but it's just as likely that I won't. I'm not saying I don't think that Kurt and I have no future together… I just…" Sebastian raked his hands threw his hair; he didn't want to deal with this shit! He'd come up here to clear his head, not to agonize over whether or not he could see himself and Kurt tying the knot one day! "I just don't know all right."

"It's not like I know what I'm doing most the time either. I usually just wing it and hope I come out alive. Relationships are tough, they take a lot of work, and it's not all sex and love songs. Sugar and I fight all of the time, sometimes over the stupidest stuff." Puck unclenched his fist and let out a sigh. "I think what you should ask yourself is if you're willing to put aside your own wants and needs-and your ego-to be with Kurt. You can't keep a relationship going with love and sex alone, and the honeymoon phase won't last forever."

Sebastian turned around to lean his back against the railing. "Thanks for the advice, Noah; you're prince among punks."

"Yeah well, you can thank me by letting up once the show's over," Puck muttered, kicking at his discarded Red Bull can on the ground. "I've barely had any time to practice my music; my band's this close to replacing me with someone more _reliable_."

"Hey, you're the most reliable person I know," Sebastian declared; he knew so few quality people in his life, so it wasn't saying much, but he truly meant it.

_

Kurt took a deep breath and cleared his throat, hoping that his voice sounded casual instead of desperate as he approached his classmate. "Hi Blaine, so tell me, does your offer to help me study for my make up exams still stand? I really could use some help."

Either Blaine didn't notice the slightly higher pitch Kurt was speaking in or he was too polite to react. He put down his textbook and gave an encouraging smile. "Of course it is."

Kurt let out a breath of relief. "Okay good, because I'm way in over my head." He hadn't counted on the fact that he'd stopped paying attention to his lessons even before the big fight with his mom. He was paying the price for it now, and unless he got outside aid, Kurt was seriously in risk of failing.

"You have two exams coming up if I'm right," Blaine clarified.

Kurt nodded. "I'm doing all right with the classes we share, thanks to your summary notes-and my own tireless efforts of course. But not only are these upcoming tests one's we don't share; neither are my strong suit to begin with."

"Hmm…" Blaine muttered in thought as he skimmed through the two text books Kurt had put down in front of him. "I think I know enough about both subjects to be of help to you still, and I can easily miss tonight's study group too. I'll just do my own homework in between helping you, Kurt."

Kurt needed the help too badly to question whether Blaine could spare the time, so his carefree manner was a welcomed relief. Kurt took a seat next to Blaine, ignoring the world around them just in case anyone had taken notice of them. The attention Kurt had received had already begun to waver, just as he had hoped. His refusal to engage people wasn't winning him any awards in popularity though. Kurt hardly cared about that; as soon as he passed his freshman year he could start looking for a college where he felt more at home.

"There's a lot of ground to cover here; it could end up taking us all night…" Blaine glanced at the time on his phone, furrowing his brows together in thought. "Do you have any plans this evening?"

"Nothing other than studying. My boyfriend is busy, but I have too much homework for socializing this week anyway." Kurt was just relieved that none of his finales ran on the same day as the fashion show.

"We could go to my house to study; there's lots of space, and we can work without any interruptions," Blaine suggested.

Considering that their other options were either to go Kurt's house (no thank you), stay at the school (and remain under public eye), or go to the library (which closed way too early), Blaine's house was their best bet.

"Sounds good to me," Kurt said, smiling with gratitude.

Now that the location was decided, Blaine (without any prompting) took half of Kurt's book load into his arms and stood up from the table. Once Kurt gathered the rest, the two headed out of the main building. Kurt had half a mind to steal his books back but he chose against it; since it wasn't a big deal.

"You know, I don't even know if you drive to to school or not," Kurt admitted as they walked together. He hadn't gone to stalking levels with his crush-understandably-so Kurt didn't know anything about Blaine's life outside of the classes they had shared.

"I do drive; my place isn't too far, but I find it easier to lug my books around and stuff." Blaine led them to the back end of the parking long and nodded towards the vehicle directly ahead of them. "That's mine there, it's nothing fancy, but it gets me where I need to go."

Kurt eyed the car for a minute before smirking; Blaine's idea of fancy might not compare to Sebastian's expensive convertible, but his ride was still no lemon. "A Prius, Blaine, really?"

"Hey, being environmentally friendly is nothing to laugh at, and I get great mileage too," Blaine said in his defence, though his carefree grin showed he wasn't the least bit offended by Kurt's harmless teasing.

"At least my hair won't get horribly wind blown; Sebastian drives a convertible and rarely puts the top up." Kurt paused when he realized he'd said Sebastian's first name; he wasn't really hiding his identity from Blaine (or anyone else). It just felt odd to him to be able to talk about Sebastian outside of their small group of friends. "That's my boyfriend… sorry, it's hard to keep from babbling about him sometimes…" Kurt felt so awkward and he knew he was blushing. He wanted to flee from the scene, but his school situation was too dire to do such a thing.

Besides, Blaine wasn't doing anything to add to Kurt's embarrassment; he was acting polite as ever as he got into the driver's side of his car. "There's no need for you to apologize Kurt, you're in a relationship so of course you'd want to talk about him."

It would be nice to be able to talk freely about Sebastian and where there was no risk of it coming back to him (not that he planned to say anything bad about him). As much as Kurt disliked upheaving all of his feelings upon Blaine, who he still didn't know very well, Blaine didn't seem to mind.

"It's more like the opposite right now, we're both so busy with our own stuff that we're basically having to steer clear of each other just to stay focused," Kurt admitted.

Blaine furrowed his eyebrows together; he seemed to do this a lot. "Well… I'm no expert here, nor am I remotely qualified to give relationship advice… but I don't see that necessarily being a bad thing. Having alone time is healthy, or so I've heard, and you two are keeping some contact I assume." Kurt nodded in confirmation and Blaine went on. "The show is in a few days, so I'm sure things will wind down once it's over."

If Kurt were in a more daring mood, this would be the perfect moment to ask Blaine about his own social life, and if he were dating anyone. Except he felt too uncomfortable to ask anything along those lines, and he was feeling awkward enough as it is. Blaine's response about knowing nothing about relationships seemed it answer the query anyway. It hardly mattered if Blaine were single, casually dating or in a serious relationship anyway.

He switched his efforts to make light conversation during the drive; they mostly discussed topics related to school, and while it was hardly deep subject matter, it was better than a prolonged awkward silence.

When the two men made it to Blaine's house (or rather, his folks house, because he still lived at home) they wasted no time in sitting down to business. Kurt's books and notes were laid out on Blaine's work table in his bedroom ready for them to tackle. (If his past self had been his place he would have died and gone to heaven by now!) The tension Kurt had felt before went away when the work began, and soon the pair felt relaxed enough to joke a bit with one another.

If only Kurt's heart would stop racing in his chest and his head stop feeling light and dizzy. He blamed it on skipping lunch, and the stress of passing his exams. Stubborn too very end, Kurt pushed himself through it all and listened to Blaine as he instructed Kurt through their studying.

He wasn't saying much in reply as time went on though, which Blaine seemed to finally pick up on roughly three hours into their study session.

"Are you feeling all right there Kurt? We should take a snack break, or we could even call it a day if you're getting tired." Blaine rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I hadn't realized so much time had passed, I'm being a bad host…"

"No, no I'm fine." Kurt paused to take a drink of his water bottle. "I'm just a little tired, but I can go on." In truth, Kurt didn't feel well at all; his head was pounding and it felt so heavy it was hard for him to remain upright. But he couldn't call it quits now, not when they'd barely covered the subject matter for his second final.

"Are you sure; you sure don't look fine to me. At least let me go grab us something we can munch on as we study."

The stubbornness of Blaine's gaze was so clear that even if Kurt were feeling better he wouldn't have argued. Kurt just nodded and thanked Blaine as he headed off to fetch them both something from the kitchen. He used the short break to massage his aching temples, but the attempt brought little to no relief. Kurt slumped down on the table, resting his chin on the surface as he let out a deep sigh. He felt so warm; why did Blaine have to have the heat turned on so high? The room was spinning, and Kurt had to fight to keep his eyes open.

What he wouldn't give to take a nice long nap, but sleep was for the weak. If Sebastian could pull an all nighter and work until the late hours of the night then so could he. He was Kurt Hummel, how many nights had he spent studying? Too many to count and if he could manage it then, then there was no reason he couldn't now.

By the time Blaine returned (ten minutes later) Kurt was so far gone that just the sight of him slumped over the table snapped Blaine into action. He quickly hurried over and placed the tray of refreshments down on the table so he could hover over Kurt anxiously. Blaine gently pulled Kurt up by his shoulders and saw his flushed skin and sweating brow.

Blaine brought his a hand to his forehead. "Kurt! Oh, my god, you're burning up! You have a fever!" he stammered in alarm.

Kurt's pathetic attempt to wave off Blaine's concern didn't even last long enough to make a full sentence.

Keen to act, Blaine helped Kurt up, and when it became clear he wasn't well enough to stand, he took it upon himself to take the brunt of his friend's weight. Kurt had no energy to pretend he was well enough to do anything except just go along to wherever Blaine was taking him to.

"I'm going to take you to the hospital just to be safe Kurt, do you want me to call your parents?" Blaine asked as he carried Kurt, who replied with a weak 'oh, god no' before he rested his head against Blaine for support.

"Okay just hold on then, Kurt," Blaine muttered. "I've got you."

_

"Well, that's another productive day done," Sebastian said to himself as he locked up the door to the Atelier.

There was only the top hat, gloves, and boots to finish now. He'd spent the evening tweaking the jacket (putting it on Kurt had helped him notice a couple subpar spots). With the cane also complete as of this morning, he was confident they would finish well on time. Sebastian had learned quickly that, while he could work through the extreme pressure that going to the last minute brought, he prefered to do so only when it was absolutely necessary. The day of the show would be the pivotal moment when Sebastian would see if everything would come together exactly has he had envisioned. He had intentionally paid little detail to seeing Kurt in the showpiece when he'd worn it for the fitting. At least aside from making sure the fit was perfect, and even then the effect of the ensemble on Kurt had Sebastian on pins and needles.

This called for a celebration, and Sebastian only hoped that the eye of his affection would be free to join him. He knew there was a good chance he wasn't; Kurt's exams were days away, so he was in complete study mode. That was why he hadn't bothered calling (or even texting) Kurt for the better part of the day.

All Sebastian really hoped do was drop in on his boyfriend, share a few words and maybe sneak in a few stolen kisses now and then. That was sure a big contrast from what Sebastian usually wanted when it came to men.

As if they were joined by some sort of psychic link; Kurt ended up calling Sebastian before he had gotten his phone out to do the same. "Hey babe, would you believe I was just about to call you."

"This isn't Kurt. My name's Blaine, I'm a classmate of Kurt's."

Sebastian of course knew all about Blaine, or at least from what Sugar and Kurt had told him about the man. But nothing of the little he knew explained why he would be calling Sebastian with Kurt's phone. Something fishy was going on, and judging by the unease in Blaine's voice, he wasn't going to like it one bit.

"What's happened to Kurt?" Sebastian asked before Blaine could say anything else.

"Kurt collapsed when we were studying together; he has a high fever and is anemic as well. I drove him to the hospital. He's in stable condition, and is resting now; they put him on IV fluids to counteract his fatigue. He didn't want me to call his parents though, so I decided to contact you instead," Blaine explained.

It didn't matter if Kurt's life wasn't any danger, his boyfriend was lying on a hospital bed, and he wanted to be be there when Kurt woke up. "I'll be right over. Meet me at the front desk in fifteen minutes."

_'Kurt's okay,'_ Sebastian told himself as he ran up the stairs of the studio. _'He's a fucking idiot, but he's okay.'_

_

Blaine paced back and forth as he waited for Kurt's boyfriend to meet him at the front desk. He wasn't exactly sure why he was acting so nervous. Kurt was responding well to the IV fluids and resting peacefully. It wouldn't be long before he'd be up and back on his feet, and yet Blaine's mind was a whirlwind of activity.

He glanced at the entrance for any signs of Sebastian. He had no idea who to look for though (going through Kurt's photos felt too invasive). Kurt had given him his phone for safe keeping just before he had been admitted to the emergency room. Once he was looked after, Blaine figured he should contact someone about Kurt's condition and his boyfriend felt like the best choice (luckily Kurt didn't have a passcode on his phone).

Blaine came to a halt when he saw a man close to his own age dart into view. He and Blaine quickly looked at each other directly and a sudden wave of recognition washed over them both. He reeled back on his heels, his need to remain polite being the only reason he was able to hold his composure.

Memories of an event Blaine had tried to wipe from his brain came rushing back, and even after two years had passed, it still felt as clear as day to him. The pulsing sound of electronic dance music filling his ears, the sea of bodies gyrating and dancing before him, the sheer numbers of gorgeous men congregating together. Blaine had been a confused and clueless high school junior when his personal struggles about his sexuality had led him to a gay bar over in the next town.

He'd gone there in the hopes that exposing himself to the gay community could help him figure out if he belonged there or not. What had ended up instead was Blaine being approached by a handsome guy with a wicked smile and smooth pick-up skills. In his utter confusion and bewilderment, Blaine had accepted his offer to go out on the dance floor. Never in a million years had Blaine thought that crazy night would end with him and his dance partner pushed up together in one of the club's bathroom stalls.

It had taken the extreme act of getting his first blowjob ever-which had been incredible-to finally snap Blaine out of his trance. He'd barely finished recovering from his orgasm when he'd blurted out sorry to his partner (who he now knew was named Sebastian-somehow names had never been exchanged at the time) and had high tailed it outta there.

Since then Blaine had slowly come to terms with his homosexuality, but chose to remain in the closet for the unseeable future. He'd felt guilty about that choice, and did even now, but Blaine hardly had time one night stands, let alone for romance. So he had decided to keep his sexual orientation under wraps at least until he graduated from college.

What should he do? Should he pretend that he had never laid eyes on Sebastian before?

"Sebastian," Blaine said when the very person he hoped to never run into again was now right in front of him-except he wasn't smirking like he had been back then.

"Blaine," Sebastian replied with surprising indifference.

"Kurt's still asleep, but the doctor said he'll be well enough to leave once he wakes."

Blaine was very grateful that Sebastian wasn't making any sort of comment about their past meeting. He must have heard about his history with Sugar and Puck from them, so he could only imagine what Sebastian was thinking right now. He could barely believe that Sebastian was cutting him a break, what with how he ran out on Sebastian back at the bar, and had literally left him hanging.

"I'll take it from here, thank you for seeing to Kurt's wellbeing," Sebastian said, holding out his hand.

It dawned on Blaine that he wanted Kurt's phone, so he handed it over willingly and without saying anything in response at first. "Could you ask him to call me when he's up?"

All Sebastian did was nod and then walk past him, leaving Blaine on his own and wallowing in his own embarrassed misery. He just hoped that whatever Sebastian might have against him, he wouldn't go so low as to out him, either to Kurt or anyone else.

For the moment, it was out of Blaine's hands, and he let out a heavy sigh. Blaine's job was done, and he was fine to take his leave. At least this time he managed to casually walk out of the hospital at a normal pace, instead of the top speeds he'd gone the first time he and Sebastian had crossed paths.

_

Kurt's whole body ached; his arms felt like dead weights at his side and even his eyes took too much energy to finally open. What was going on? Had he fallen asleep when Blaine had gone to get them something to eat? That still didn't explain why the twinge of pain in his right arm, or the blinding lights.

He tried to sit up but couldn't, and he felt a pair of hands on his chest gently guide him to lie back down again.

"Easy there tiger, you don't wanna get a head rush, or tug on your IV," a soothing voice cooed.

"Blaine?" It sure didn't sound like him, but who else could it be?

"No it's Sebastian, remember me? I'm the guy you're dating and say you're in love with."

There was no mistaking the unique tone of snark to think it could be anyone else other than Sebastian, even if his reply had made it quite obvious. Bedridden he might be, but Kurt was still Kurt, and he couldn't resist the chance for a witty comeback. "The sarcastic tone sounds familiar…" He went with that instead of snarky because it felt like a better option to tease Sebastian about. "... but you're going to need to jolt my memory a bit here to know for sure." Kurt grinned, albeit weakly; he was feeling better already.

Sebastian chuckled, leaning over to brush Kurt's damp hair away from his forehead so he could kiss it softly. He perched on the side of the bed next to Kurt and took hold of his hand (on the opposite arm from the one hooked up to the IV).

"I'm in a hospital," Kurt said.

"You are." Sebastian's loving gaze changed to mild annoyance for a split second. "And whose fault do you think that is, huh?"

"I'm going to go with mine," Kurt said meekly, fluttering his eyes (as best he could) for any sympathy he could get from his boyfriend.

Sebastian let go of Kurt's hand so he could stand up and pace around the room for a moment. Kurt got that he was pissed, probably both at Kurt pushing himself too much, and how much of a scare he must have gotten. He left his boyfriend for his own devices while he tried to think of the last thing he remembered. "Where's Blaine? Did he bring me here or did you?"

"Blaine did, and he called me once you were admitted," Sebastian answered. "He left as soon as I got here."

Kurt had nothing to go on, but he swore the corners of Sebastian's mouth curved upwards to form the tiniest smile. He no idea why he would do such a thing, and on the off chance Kurt was imagining things, he had no plans to ask him about it.

It was all coming back to him and Kurt knew he should confess everything to Sebastian, before his annoyance turned into genuine anger. "I haven't been sleeping well ever since I moved back in with my folks and that lack of sleep was only the beginning of my problems. These past couple of days I've thrown myself into my studies, or tried to, but it wasn't enough. I just can't get myself at the same level of focus as before. I kept missing you and the others; I was worried about the show and my exams; and how everyone at school keeps whispering behind my back! The stress began to build and I stopped eating regularly, but kept on pushing myself. I asked Blaine to help me study today, so we went to his place… and I guess that's when my body reached its limit and I succumbed to my high fever."

Just hearing the details out loud made Kurt feel horrible; there had to be something he could add to help clear his image. "I did not collapse and faint though, I stayed conscious until I was placed in this bed and given medication to help me sleep," Kurt stated matter-of-factly, though _conscious _was a bit of a stretch, because he'd felt pretty out of it.

Sebastian turned to face his boyfriend; he had his emotional walls up, but barely. "You're not making this easy for me Kurt. Part of me-a big part-just wants to start shouting things like 'what the hell did you think you were doing' but then, you're lying in a hospital bed. So since I don't want to get kicked out, I'll just go a different route." He plopped himself down in the chair next to to the bed, though he kept his hands to himself this time.

"You really need to realize when you push yourself to brink like this, you're hurting not just yourself, but the people who care about you as well." Sabastian might have been scolding Kurt, yet there was no anger in his eyes-only fear. "Nobody wants to think about it, but losing someone you love-when there's nothing you can do to save them-has to be the worst thing in the world to go through. Even though you weren't in any real danger today, I'm scared shitless, Kurt…"

"I know," Kurt said softly. "I'm scared too. I'm stronger than this Sebastian."

"You have limits, same as everyone else. What you need to do is listen to the signs and see to your own health before it can reach this point. I bet you don't realize it, but whenever I pull all nighters, or work for a really long time, I monitor my vitals, stop to refuel myself, and will even take short breaks when needed. If you just force your body to keep going, you're going to end up crashing before long… which I'm sure you're aware of now."

Kurt cracked a small smile; he was actually glad Sebastian had ended his lecture with a teasing comment. It meant that he was on the road to forgiveness, not that he had been worried that Sebastian would hold any sort of grudge against him. "I'm sorry I worried you Sebastian, and I'm sorry I didn't tell you that I haven't been sleeping well."

"Yeah well, I'm pretty hard to approach when I'm so far deep into a project," Sebastian said, apparently smirking at his own inability to deliver for once.

"From here on I shall be a changed man; I'll look after myself and stop acting like I'm some sort of invisible machine. I'm just glad this all happened now and not on the day of the show, or that I'm not in worse shape and have to be hospitalized for days!" Kurt shuddered just at the idea of either scenario. "While we're on the subject; how long do I have to stay here?" Kurt would have said he felt much better, but he doubted Sebastian would believe him right now.

"Last I heard you're allowed to leave once you woke up and the nurse takes one final look at you," explained Sebastian, whose casual grin held just the hint of smugness. He stood up next, coming over to pat Kurt affectionately on the head before heading to the door. "I'll go tell the front desk that you're up and itching to be released."

Kurt nodded at him; he could have just buzzed for a nurse but he was fine to let Sebastian feel useful. He stared down at the IV needle that was stuck in his arm and sighed. He hoped he wouldn't have to resort to taking medication to fall asleep at night. Maybe he and Sebastian could make some sort of deal where they talk on the phone with each other until they were too tired to continue. He wasn't really sure when Sebastian went to bed now that the show was so close, but he bet his boyfriend would oblige him easily enough. That just left Kurt to make sure he had a well balanced diet every day-no more skipping meals because 'he didn't have the time'.

The wait for Sebastian to return with the assigned nurse in tow was over before he knew it, and so was Kurt's examination. After she instructed him (scolded more like) to eat regularly and rest up for the next day at least, Kurt was deemed well enough to leave.

Sebastian insisted on holding onto Kurt while they walked to the parking lot and his convertible. Kurt was actually glad for the assistance and thanked his boyfriend for his chivalrous aid. The comment led to some much missed playful banter, which helped renew Kurt's tired soul a great deal.

"My first instinct is to take you to my place so you can rest and not have to tell your parents what happened. But I wouldn't be able to give you the extra care you'll need right now, so as much as it pains me to admit, it's better if I take you home and have your mom keep an eye on you," Sebastian said with a vindictive yet teasing grin. "I figure having her nurse you back to health is punishment enough-in addition to missing out on spooning with me tonight."

Kurt rolled his eyes; the few times he had been sick before had been almost unbearable for him. He swore his mother actually enjoyed when she had to take care of him; it was the only time he'd become dependant on her once he hit his teenage years.

It was hardly the ideal scenario for his mom and dad to meet Sebastian, but his presence and his weakened constitution meant that things wouldn't get too out of hand-or too awkward. That was the hope anyway, and while there was no way to tell what could happen, Kurt wanted Sebastian to stay with him (if only until he was settled in his room and ready to go to sleep).

Kurt was so confident Sebastian wouldn't want to just drop him off at his front door that he didn't even bother to ask him it he would stay.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

"I could always just walk inside on my own and try to hide how lousy I'm actually feeling…" Kurt said as they drove up the driveway to his house.

"You could, but then, do you really want to tempt fate right now? The way I see it, you've maxed out your luck metre enough as it is there. Think about it, what if you'd been so bad that you'd had to have been rushed to emergency and kept at the hospital." Sebastian was his usual wordy self, though he was keeping his smugness in check as he drawled on.

Kurt ignored most of what Sebastian had said and replied, "You don't even believe in luck, Sebastian."

"Save that spunk for when we head inside, babe," Sebastian cooed before leaning over the stick shift and pecking Kurt on the lips.

"Fine, let's get this over with." Kurt waited for his boyfriend to come around and the open the door for him. He reached out to Sebastian, who took hold of his hand and helped him out of the vehicle. His mom was going to kill him, or at least be very disappointed with his careless actions. As for Burt, although their reconciliation had just begun, he knew that seeing his son stumble weakly inside with Sebastian in tow wouldn't go over very well.

"Should I carry you bridal style through the door or can you manage to walk on your own two feet?" Sebastian questioned as Kurt took a few shaky forward steps.

Kurt snorted, "Just keep close and your arms around me and I should manage, thanks."

Since there was no easier way, Kurt just decided to own up and face whatever consequences came his way. They could hardly ground him though, not with his exams and modelling duties. And it wasn't as if Kurt was coming home wasted after spending the night out partying either. He had been trying to do the responsible thing by being so focused on his studying, and getting so exhausted had been an honest mistake.

Kurt found the door unlocked, which was a sure sign that his parents were waiting for him. Maybe he should have phoned to say he would be late, but he hadn't wanted to explain his predicament in case they were to ask what had him so detained.

He opened it and shuffled inside; Sebastian was still holding onto him, a fact he was grateful for when he saw his dad sitting in the living room. Burt Hummel took one look at Kurt, eyed Sebastian up and down and then brought his attention back to his swaying son.

"You better start talking Kurt, and tell me why you look like you're about to fall over," Burt demanded, his shoulders instantly tensing as he stood up in surprise.

Kurt clung onto Sebastian's shoulder and took a deep breath. He needed to say something, but he suddenly found it hard for him to breathe.

Sebastian seemed to realize what was going on and decided to answer for his boyfriend. "Your son ended up pushing himself to the breaking point and came down with a high fever. He came close to passing out, he was that anemic, so I wouldn't let him get up and go anywhere until he had recovered enough."

"What are you doing," Kurt hissed under his breath to Sebastian, who had basically gone and lied about what had happened without stopping to check with Kurt first. What in the world should he do now? Correct Sebastian and expose the truth? Or go along with the ruse to save himself some possible unwanted grief? Talk about being caught between a rock and a hard place.

"Saving your sorry ass, but don't worry; I've got this," Sebastian whispered back, returning his attention to Burt again. He didn't so much as flinch under Burt's judgemental stare, and just smiled charmingly back at him. "He's assured me that he'll pay proper attention to his health from now on, and I believe his sincerity."

Kurt wanted to stamp on Sebastian's foot to get him to shut up!

"That sounds like something he would do, Kurt's inherited the Hummel stubborn gene all right," Burt said; he was clearly still on guard, but that was understandable.

_'Oh, not him too,'_ Kurt groaned to himself. What next? Would his mom appear and join in on picking on him? "I know I messed up… and I really will be more careful from now on… but if it's okay with you Dad, I'd really like to go line down on my bed and try to get some much needed sleep." He just hoped he looked pathetic enough for his dad to skip the father lecture for now.

"All right, you can head on up, Kurt. We all make mistakes, I'm just glad you're okay," Burt relented.

"Thanks," Kurt breathed with relief.

Burt glanced over at Sebastian, who was standing silently beside Kurt now. "This your boyfriend?"

Oh that was right, this was the first time Burt had seen Sebastian aside from the quick meeting (if it could even be called that) when Kurt had moved back home. He quickly nodded and guided Sebastian by the waist to come stand in front of him so the could properly introduce to two men to one another.

"This is Sebastian Smythe," Kurt began.

Sebastian wasted no time in taking over and extending his hand to Burt, who shook it without hesitance. (So far so good then.)

"Burt Hummel, thanks for looking after my son. We can take it from here," Burt replied.

"I'd rather stick around a bit longer, so I can help Kurt to his room." Grinning even more now, Sebastian slipped his arm around Kurt's waist. The look he gave Kurt, was that of pure adoration, although Kurt still detected a hint of smugness underneath it.

The two men stared at one another; Burt's eyes were narrowed in what Kurt thought looked like wary distrust. Sebastian toned down his charisma, but not so much that he showed any sort of discomfort. "I'll leave as soon as Kurt falls asleep," Sebastian added in assurance.

His dad probably didn't realize that Sebastian was showing him a surprising amount of respect. That was probably for Kurt's sake though and not Burt's, whom Sebastian had heard little about since Kurt had so few details to share.

Burt crossed his arms over his chest, drumming his fingers against them as he seemed to consider his options. "You can stay until 11:30 or until Kurt falls asleep, whichever comes first." He went over to his son and placed a hand on Kurt's shoulder. "I just hate seeing you so beaten up over things."

"Thanks, Dad," Kurt replied, tugging on Sebastian's hand so they could head up to his bedroom before the awkward tension in the room could excelerate anymore.

"How could he have seen you this beaten up before if he's been never around?" Sebastian whispered to Kurt on his way.

"Don't even." Kurt glanced over his shoulder and saw his dad head into the kitchen; no doubt to talk to his mom about what had just happened. Kurt was amazed that she hadn't barged in herself; he bet she had been listening just out of view.

Even with Sebastian's aid, it took the pair a while to make it up the stairs; and they nearly tipped over a couple of times. Finally they cleared the door to Kurt's bedroom and Sebastian closed it behind them once they were both inside.

Always the gentleman, Sebastian helped Kurt change into a pair of pyjamas (despite his heavy criticisms about how they didn't go together at all) and then into bed. Kurt was felt to drained to do anything but let his boyfriend take care of him. The nap he'd taken at the hospital had given him just enough energy to make it to this point without crashing.

But there was one more thing he wanted to discuss with Sebastian before that could happen though.

"Warn me next time you decide to go off script like that, Sebastian," Kurt muttered.

Sebastian rolled his eyes, but still continued to tuck Kurt in. "I didn't hear you setting the record straight."

"I had little choice. Sorry if I didn't want to out you as a liar." Kurt made sure to keep his voice down just in case his mom was listening at the door. He couldn't see her going that far, but he didn't want to risk it.

"Go ahead and tell them the truth if you like, but if I were you, I wouldn't bother. It's not like they need to know every detail about your life, Kurt." Sebastian, who had just finished putting away Kurt's things, came to sit down on the free side of the bed.

Kurt let out a loud yawn; his eyelids felt heavy with impending sleep. "I guess that's the reason you offered to pay my hospital bill. Thank you for that, by the way."

"Thanks for letting me," Sebastian cooed, leaning over to kiss him on the forehead.

"I am going to pay you back for it, just so we're clear-with money-at least for the hospital bill portion." Kurt smiled flirtatiously at Sebastian, wishing he had more energy to show him a bit of gratitude right now. "I'll pay you back for how well you're looking after me tonight by more pleasurable means as soon as the show's over though."

Sebastian chuckled; his shoulders bobbing up and down as he laughed. "I'm looking forward to it babe, but right now you should to get some sleep. You have your two exams, and the rehearsal to rest up for."

"Don't be such a worry wart Sebastian; I'm confident I will ace everything without fail."

"Says the guy who went to the emergency room after stressing himself out too much."

"Sure, hit a man when he's down why don't you…" Kurt said with woeful eyes.

Sebastian just smirked at his boyfriend's victim act and stood up from the bed. "As much as I want to stay and continue our playful banter; you need to shut up and get some shuteye, Kurt."

"Fine." Kurt yawned again; it wouldn't be long now. "You'll still stay until I fall asleep though right?

"I said I would, forgive me if I won't join you on the bed though; you're a pretty grabby bedmate."

Sebastian went over to shut off the bedroom lights; Kurt's eyes were still on him as he pulled out and sat down on his computer chair. He was close enough to his boyfriend that Kurt would know he was there, but far enough away that he wouldn't stubbornly try to keep awake to continue talking to him. Sebastian quietly watched as Kurt's eyes slowly began to close; it was a relief to see him looking so peaceful. He stayed long enough to make sure Kurt was actually asleep and not just pretending to be. When Sebastian's movements didn't stir him, he was confident that Kurt was out for the count.

_'Time for me to go then,'_ Sebastian thought. He stole one final glance at Kurt before leaving; the sheer beauty he saw on his boyfriend's sleeping face was so bright even in the darkness of the room. _'Sweet dreams, babe.' _

He walked down the hallway and then the stairs with his hands in his pockets; today had sure been one hell of an ordeal.

_'And it's not even over yet,'_ Sebastian thought to himself when he discovered that Burt was in the living room and apparently waiting up for him. "Kurt's sound asleep and should be back to his old determined self after a good night's rest."

Just to stir things up, Sebastian headed straight for the door, acting as if he would be allowed to leave without any further comment. To his surprise (and secret delight) Burt, in a flash of movement that was impressive for a man his age, managed to block the door in the nick of time. "Was there something else?" This was one of the times where having to play nice was actually fun for him, and Burt's stone faced expression was priceless.

"Do you love him?" Burt asked point blank.

The frankness of Burt's question amused him, but didn't catch him off guard enough not to answer. "I do; he's amazing." Sebastian knew his reply was a little on the weak side; he didn't feel like listing the many ways and reasons why he loved Kurt so much.

Sebastian waited for Burt to ask any follow up questions, holding back the words he so badly wanted to express himself in turn. "Not to be rude…" It was nearly impossible to keep the snark from his voice as he said this. "... but it's been a long day for me and I'm exhausted, so if there's anything else you wish to say to me… then just say it."

"I don't really know my son, Sebastian, and these past few days have made that fact super clear to me. I've barely begun to wrap my head around the idea that Kurt is gay and then you show up at the door," Burt began. His attempts to speak honestly with Sebastian were so awkward he almost pitied him.

"Kurt planned to introduce me at a later date of course, once the three of you had time to get used to the idea. But that's life for you, and here we are." Sebastian was more tired than he wanted admit; he was not on his linguistic game tonight.

The rising tension between them was given an unexpected boost when Margaret Hummel stepped into the living room. Sebastian instantly put himself on high alert, watching her intently underneath his mask of indifference as she came to stand beside her husband. '_How to go about this,_' Sebastian pondered. He knew exactly what he wanted to say, which was _'Oh, look who finally decided to grace us with her presence. Kurt's fine, in case you were wondering, and you're quite welcome.'_ But since he didn't want to send his boyfriend back to the ER, he chose a less confrontational approach.

"Good evening, Mrs. Hummel; I was just leaving. Kurt is resting peacefully," Sebastian told her with just a hint of politeness.

Margaret held her ground, her jaw tightening before she finally replied, "Thank you for looking after him for us."

"I did it for him," Sebastian curtly replied, holding back from adding, 'and not for you.' The last thing Kurt needed right now was to wake up to angered parents and learn how his boyfriend had offended them the night prior. "Kurt should eat a hearty breakfast before he heads off to school tomorrow, to get his full strength back." He knew he had to leave before he started sounding overly cocky (which he swore he wasn't trying to do, it just came naturally sometimes).

Sebastian was tempted to just leave without saying another word, but Burt-and now Margaret as well-were still blocking his path to the door. "Well, this is where I leave you," he said, placing his hands into his pockets and casually waiting for them to step aside. He kinda hoped they wouldn't so he could ask them if they were planning to have him spend the night.

Alas, nothing of that sort happened, which was for the better honestly, since Sebastian was too worn out to really enjoy such a scenario. Barely a minute passed before Margaret moved away from the door and Burt followed her lead soon after.

Sebastian smiled charmingly at them both, and walked up to the door and opened it on his own. Without a care in the world (not a visible one anyway), the young designer casually strolled over to his convertible. _'Not the best first official meeting I've had, but it wasn't the worst either,'_ Sebastian thought to himself as he went.

Winning over Kurt's parents (not to mention gaining the desire to try) wasn't top priority at the moment though. Sebastian had a much bigger fish to fry, and until the day of the show whatever else came his way would just have to wait.

_

Proper rest and regular meals for the next two days ended up doing wonders for Kurt, who managed to take the first of his two exams without any issues. While he knew his test results wouldn't be in the high brackets, he was quite confident he'd come out decently enough and get a passing grade. That only left his second exam, which was schedule for today, and Kurt was managing to keep his stress levels in check.

He'd started the day off with a generous and well balanced breakfast, which his mother had lovingly made and practically ordered him to finish every bite of before he'd be allowed to leave the table. Full of both food and determination, Kurt bravely marched into class and spent the wait until his fated final as best he could.

When his lunch break came around, Kurt took a seat by himself outside and, after taking a bite of his sandwich, dialled up his boyfriend.

"Hey you, I'm calling you back per your request. How are you faring today so far?" Kurt asked, grinning to himself even before he'd heard Sebastian's voice.

"Not too bad, though I am finding it hard to focus on my other classes with the show so near," Sebastian replied back in his delicious throaty voice that Kurt found so irresistible.

It was hard for Kurt not to giggle with affection. "Oh, you'll manage; you always do. I bet you'll get top marks in all of them and rub it in your fellow students' faces-in your own subtle way." Kurt often wondered if Sebastian had more enemies or admirers at his school, or if it was an even mix of both.

"How about you, Kurt? Do you think history will repeat itself with your exam today?" Sebastian didn't bother to pause long enough for Kurt to reply. "It better, because you'll need to be at top form for the rehearsal at SAIC."

Kurt rolled his eyes; trust Sebastian Smythe to want perfection in all things, even for a simple rehearsal. It wasn't even going to be a dress rehearsals either; Kurt was just going to walk the runway, while the people in charge of the event checked for lighting and such.

"You're eating your lunch right now I hope. Unique put a lot of effort into making it for you, so I'd hate to see it go to waste." Sebastian sounded like he was a parent scolding his child, which Kurt had a feeling he was doing on purpose.

Kurt munched loudly on his sandwich, hoping Sebastian could hear it (he was tempted to suggest they video chat just to prove it). "You're lucky I'm stopping long enough to talk to you, it's that delicious." He meant it too; it made him wish Unique could prepare all of his future meals.

He decided to get back at Sebastian by teasing him. "What would you do if someone were to outdo you in one of your classes?"

"Oh, I think I'd take it well enough… wait…" Kurt imagined he was smirking now. "What do you think I would do?"

"Honestly?" There were so many ways Kurt could go with his answer. "I keep picturing some diabolical act of revenge that may or may not involve some sort of blackmail where they're left naked somewhere…" Sebastian didn't bother to give any reply remark, so Kurt went on. "Either that or you'd make some kind of backhanded comment where you'd graciously _congratulate_ their achievement, while secretly plotting their future demise."

"You think you're pretty cute don't you," Sebastian remarked.

"I have heard you call me that before, amongst other things." It felt so great to be able to enjoy playful banter with Sebastian. He'd really missed it, even though he did enjoy getting see Sebastian's more softer side.

"You may be cute but you can still get it wrong Kurt. If I ever were to get second place on an final or anything like that, I wouldn't seek revenge against my rival. I would first look at myself and try to see where I had gone wrong, then I'd aim to fix any of the problems I unearthed and only after I had gone through every possible cause, would I consider how I'd deal with the victor. I wouldn't even think to get even unless some kind of foul play such as in favouritism-sexual or otherwise-or sabotage was involved. Now if that were the case-though I seriously doubt that would actually happen-then I might play a hand in exposing their dishonesty."

Kurt finished off the last of his sandwich as he listened to Sebastian ramble.

"I've always been far more interested in seeing to my own pleasure than bringing anyone down, unless it meant they would go down on me I guess," Sebastian said in closing.

Kurt chuckled; he should have known. "That's very mature of you." At least as far as Sebastian went.

"I'm not saying I'm totally innocent, but my misdoings have rarely gone past the odd cruely said word, and even that's basically behind me now."

"Unless someone provokes you," Kurt said matter-of-factly.

"Unless someone provokes me," Sebastian repeated with audible pleasure in his voice. "You know me so well… when did that happen?"

"Please, I feel like I've barely scratched the surface when it comes to understanding how your mind operates."

Kurt had just unzipped the bag of almonds Unique had packed for him when he caught sight of a familiar figure off in the distance. He jumped to his feet, only for him to wish he hadn't, swooning back from the headrush it cause. "Hey! Blaine, over here!" he called out, waving his hands to catch the other student's attention.

"People are gonna think you have a crush on him if you're not careful," Sebastian teased.

Kurt had pretty much decided he wasn't going to worry about what anyone else on campus thought about his growing friendship with Blaine. "Let them."

Blaine eventually noticed Kurt and changed directions to head over to him. "Hello Kurt, was there something you needed from me?"

The fact that Blaine didn't give Kurt his usual friendly grin concerned him a bit. For some reason, ever since the whole episode with the hospital had happened, Kurt felt like Blaine was keeping his distance from Kurt. He'd tried not to think much of it the first time he'd noticed; in case Blaine was just busy with his own exams.

"Aren't you forgetting someone?" Sebastian's voice cracked through Kurt's cell.

Kurt brought his phone back up to his ear."Sorry. I'll um, I'll call you back when my exam's over with okay," he quickly mumbled back.

"How kind of you; do give Blaine my best regards."

Kurt said goodbye to Sebastian and quickly put his phone away. "I haven't had a chance to thank for what you did the other day."

"It wasn't anything big; I'm just happy you're okay." Blaine's hands were tightly clenched around the strap of his bookbag.

"Well thanks all the same, for everything you did for me." Kurt wondered if Blaine had heard the rumours going around school about them and was backing off because of that.

The two men chatted for a moment, going over the exams they'd both had that day and what was still ahead. During their discussion, Kurt caught little signs that Blaine was nervous about something; he kept getting flustered and fiddling with his hands. Kurt was reluctant to ask him about it though, in case his nerves weren't related to him in any way. He knew virtually nothing about Blaine outside of his school life, so there was too little information to go on for him to come up with a real explanation. And he honestly didn't feel the need to ask Blaine anything; he was still willing to talk to him after all.

By the time lunch was over and Kurt and Blaine had to go their separate ways, Kurt was quite convinced he had been worrying over nothing. He happily let the matter drop, and turned his thoughts back to the things in his life he still had to fret over. Things might be looking up for him, but Kurt knew better than to let his guard down.

For now, all he wanted was to pass his last exam, get through the rehearsal without falling on his ass and making a fool of himself, and spend the rest of the time until the the show with Sebastian as much as possible.

_

"You've reached Sebastian Smythe, state your name and business," Sebastian announced, using the same spiel he always did whenever he got a call from an unknown number.

At first there was no answer, but Sebastian could hear whoever was on the other end take a deep breath. "This is Blaine… Blaine Anderson… um… I was hoping I could talk to you for a moment-if you're free to."

Now wasn't this a surprising turn of events; Sebastian wondered how Blaine had gotten his number. Had he asked Sugar or Kurt for it, or had he copied it from Kurt's phone when he'd called him at the hospital. He didn't care enough to ask him though, so he simply replied, "I'm amazed you'd want to face me at all."

"I didn't want to, but then, what happened between us did happen, and I… I figured I should touch base with you. Since there was no chance for us to talk about it when we met at the hospital."

Sebastian found it amusing that Blaine couldn't even bring himself to say exactly what 'it' was. But that was closeted guys for you, some of them just couldn't own up to the truth no matter the evidence. "I haven't told Kurt or anyone else, if that's what you're afraid of Blaine. Outing isn't my style."

Blaine sighed. "Thank you, I didn't think you were going to spread the news around or anything. But as you're obviously aware, yes I am gay, and I'm not out to anyone yet, not even my family…" he paused for a brief moment. "That night we met at the gay bar… I was testing myself, to see if I really was gay like I suspected. I wasn't completely sure, so I went there just to see what could happen. I was totally out of my element, but seeing everyone so comfortable with themselves and their sexuality really hit home for me."

"I could tell you were a newbie, and possibly in the closet still-or had just come out-when I first saw you at the club. I figured I could help ease you into the community; buy you a drink, and maybe share a dance if you were brave enough. When I propositioned you after our dance was over, I was more doing it for shock value than anything else. The last thing I expected was for you to say yes, and then bolt as soon as I got you off in the bathroom."

"I'd apologize for bailing like that, but I feel like that moment passed a long time ago. I just wanted to you know that there's nothing going on between Kurt and me," Blaine said nervously.

"I know," Sebastian automatically replied, he would have shrugged if Blaine could see him. "I don't have any idea what you might have going on Blaine, but I trust Kurt completely. So it's not like I'm going to forbid you two from seeing each other, and I couldn't if I even wanted to-which I don't. Kurt is free to befriend and hang out with whomever he likes. By all means, keep offering to help him study and talk to him at class, it's no concern of mine." He ran a hand through his hair; who knew he could be so nice to the very person who had caused two of his friends (Sugar and Puck, not Kurt) so much grief.

For a second Sebastian thought Blaine was going to apologize again, but his hunch was proven wrong. "I'm not going to go so far as to ask you to keep my being gay a secret," Blaine said, though his hopeful voice made it pretty clear that he did want that from Sebastian.

"It's not like it's any of my buisness, and I doubt anyone will ask me if I blew you in a gay bar bathroom before or not, Blaine. But it is an amusing coincidence when you stop and think about it; how you just happened to be both my boyfriend's classmate, and the childhood friend of Sugar and Puck…" The wheels in Sebastian's brain suddenly began to turn and he was hit with a giddish realization. "Hold up, if you're gay… then you never had the hots for Sugar did you?" Sebastian suppressed a laugh; he just found the irony so damn amusing. _'Could he have possibly…'_

"I'd rather not get into that," Blaine said hurriedly, interrupting Sebastian's train of thought. "I just wanted to tell you that I'm not going to try to steal Kurt away from you or anything."

Sebastian did laugh this time. "Oh, I'm not worried about that happening. Even if you do have a crush on him, like I said; I trust Kurt. As long as you know that as well, then there's no issue I feel the need to address here-at least as far as you and Kurt are concerned."

"I don't plan to stay in the closet forever," Blaine told him.

He'd heard that before, and Sebastian had felt little sympathy for any of those individuals, and it was the same for Blaine now. "Keep telling yourself that all you like, if you think it will work. Meanwhile, I'll keep my judgmental comments to myself, because I doubt you'd want to hear them." Which was a shame, and Sebastian was tempted to lecture him anyway, but if Kurt got wind of it he could get into some serious trouble there.

Sebastian leaned back in his chair; a part of him still wanted to go against his word to Blaine and reveal his sexual orientation to his friends and boyfriend. Their reactions to the news (especially Kurt, whom Sebastian suspected had a crush on Blaine at some point) would have been so fucking priceless. But however entertaining it could be, Sebastian wouldn't lower himself to blabbing Blaine's dirty little secret.

Was his newfound sense of empathy due to Kurt's influence? If so then he was doing some good, even if playing nice felt boring at times. "I'll have to cut our conversation short Blaine; I have a ton of work to do, as you do as well I'm sure." Sebastian grinned to himself, laying on the charm when he added, "Feel free to call me sometime if you want reminisce about old times again."

Blaine's goodbye was so rushed he barely finished before ending the call. Sebastian just chuckled to himself; he may be above outing, but finding amusement in other people's silly little problems was another matter. But hey, he was keeping it all to himself so what was the harm?

_

After Kurt had told Sebastian for the third time that he was more than able to go to SAIC on his own, he finally managed to convince his boyfriend not to come fetch him. Kurt had found his way easily enough (thanks to the GPS on his phone) and immediately began searching for any signs of his boyfriend, who was supposed to be waiting at their destinated meeting area.

The only trouble Kurt had was tearing his attention away from the crowds of people roaming around the school. Everyone looked so unique and fashionable, it was super distracting to see people from every walk of life all congregating together in what appeared to be perfect harmony. What surprised Kurt the most though was how he didn't feel the least bit out of place as he walked among them. Nor did anyone give his presence there any sort of negative vibe; a few people noticed him but those who did just smiled politely or nodded in acknowledgement-and in one instance gave him a flirtatious wink.

Kurt had bounced back from his little health scare and felt pleasantly renewed; his exams were over and the show was tomorrow. He thought he would have felt way more nervous, but for the moment his stress levels were at an all time low.

That could all change in an instant, and whether it did or not would weigh heavily on what state Sebastian and his fellow teammates were in. Just then, Kurt caught sight of someone casually leaning against one of the green stone lions by the fine arts building. The instant pull he felt confirmed the man's identity long before Kurt was close enough to make out any of his attractive facial features.

Kurt's heart began to race and he let out a dreamy sigh. Sebastian was surprisingly not in a full three piece suit this time. He was wearing a deep blue dress shirt and over the top of that was a shawl collar ribbed knit gilet. Which basically was a vest with an attached collar, and Kurt only knew its official name because his boyfriend had told him. The stone coloured snug fit trousers he'd pieced with them looked so good on him it was bordering ridiculous.

The bowtie he was wearing was a surprise (Sebastian was more of a necktie guy, according to him), but it worked splendidly with the rest of the ensemble. His beautiful green eyes were currently hidden behind a pair of stylish designer sunglasses.

Sebastian appeared to have no trouble ignoring those around him, not even when someone stopped to wave at him. But when his shaded eyes fell upon Kurt, he swiftly changed his tune; he took off his sunglasses, fully unleashing his undeniable charm upon his boyfriend. He stood out like a beacon, shining so brightly that Kurt registered nothing else but him. Utterly captivated, Kurt walked towards him, somehow resisting the urge to run like the lovesick fool that he was right into his arms.

"I told you I could make it on my own two feet," Kurt smugly announced once he was a few feet away.

Before Kurt could react, Sebastian stepped forward and leaned in close, kissing Kurt full on the mouth. He grinned mischievously at his boyfriend once it was over, and straightened himself back up, but not before he rested his hand gently against the small of Kurt's back. "I knew you could of course, I had just wanted an excuse to spend more time with you. We've seen so little of one another I'm going into serious Kurt Hummel withdrawals."

It took Kurt a moment to bring his pounding heart back under control. "I missed you too, but next time try to give me some warning while we're out in public at least." Not that Kurt cared if anyone had noticed their public display of affection, he just wished he could have acted as suave as Sebastian.

Sebastian kissed him again, but this time it was more of a peck. "I'll try, but I'll make no promises. I've been dying to show you around campus for a while, it makes me wish we had time to right now."

"You can always give me a tour later on this week once the shows over. I have to say I love what I've seen of it so far though. The campus grounds are beautiful, and the diversity among of the student body is refreshing as well. Is everyone who goes here as colourful as I've been seeing or are they only a small percentage?" Kurt kept himself close as Sebastian started them off in the right direction.

"It's hard to calculate the exact numbers; SAIC is pretty normal for a performing arts school, though I can see why it feels so different to you. Not everyone dresses as fancily as me though, just the students in the fashion design program mainly, though there are always exceptions to the rule."

Kurt just listened and Sebastian began to explain what an average day of school was like for him, happy to hear about a part of his life that Kurt wasn't a part of. But no matter how appealing SAIC appeared, Kurt knew he couldn't just apply for it without extensively researching, and checking out any other options as far as potential colleges went.

The couple's enjoyable journey was over before Kurt would have liked, and when he noticed the women heading their way, he instantly tensed up. In his nervousness, he absentmindedly grasped for Sebastian's arm and clung to him tightly. He didn't know why he was acting so on edge, and he tried his best to hide it.

"Relax, she's just an upper classmate of mine who's one of the students in charge of running the show," Sebastian whispered soothingly to Kurt. "Hey there Judith, are you as ready for the rehearsal as I am?"

"Of course I am, this is me you're talking about, Hotshot, but enough about that," Judith turned her head to look at Kurt, who had gone dead quiet despite Sebastian's coaxing. "Who is this with you?"

Sebastian winked at Kurt before answering her question. "This is my boyfriend Kurt, who also happens to be my model for the show."

"Hi," Kurt said, smiling at her.

"It's nice to meet you, so why I haven't seen you before," Judith said.

"Oh, that's because I don't go to SAIC," Kurt replied.

"Yet," added Sebastian with a smirk.

Judith said a couple more quick words to Kurt and Sebastian before she was called away to look after some technical problem. The conversation had showed Kurt that while he had made great strides in being a more sociable person, his window of friends was quite small. While he had no intentions to become a sudden social butterfly, he could try a bit harder to be more approachable. Crowds were another potential issue, and Kurt just hoped he'd do okay walking down the runway in a building full of people tomorrow.

The space that held the venue for the show already was quite intimidating, even when it wasn't fully set up yet.

Once again Sebastian's name was called out and this time it was by Unique, and Kurt felt more at ease now that he saw someone else he recognized. He grinned happily as she came over and claimed a hug, and began fussing over him and asking if he felt up to the rehearsal or not.

"I'm fine, and totally able to do anything needed of me today," Kurt assured her.

Sugar arrived next and took her concern for Kurt to an even higher level when she started bombarding him with endless questions. Kurt was beginning to feel a bit coddled by her antics, and when she went so far as to bring her hand to his forehead to check his temperature he let out a heavy sigh. He wondered if Sebastian had put them up to this, because it felt like something he would do.

"How many times do I have to say I'm feeling okay for any of you to believe me?" Kurt grumbling in annoyance, hoping his energetic response would help convince them.

"A few more and you should be good," Puck said as he joined the group.

By the time Kurt was finally given a break, the room had filled with even more people, and things seemed to be well underway. Sebastian ushered Kurt over to where the models were forming a line and whispered a quick encouragement before he stepped back. The fact that this wasn't even a dress rehearsal (no one wanted to reveal their creations before the event) didn't register for Kurt. For him this wasn't just a chance to check the lighting and hit his mark when it came to the runway walk, this was a test run to get himself in the right mind frame.

At Sebastian's request, Kurt had put on a pair of practice high heeled boots, that were thankfully black and not shocking purple. Their added height set Kurt above most of his fellow models, though not by much. Being surrounded by so many beautifully symmetrical faces and slim perfect bodies was quite the eye opener. As soon as he started getting modelling jobs through TreeTop designs such scenes would soon become commonplace he gathered. So he felt quite fortunate to get a preview where the stakes weren't so high. Of course, Kurt still had a job to do regardless of if he was being paid for it or not. He was representing Sebastian, and it was up to him to display the vision his boyfriend had worked towards so tirelessly.

Kurt waited for his moment in the spotlight and took a deep breath in preparation. Thinking kingly thoughts, he closed his eyes and waited for the exact moment to open them, just as he took his first step out onto the runway. In his mind, Kurt was fully decked out in the showpiece, the audience brimming with people that he needed to captivate. With fluid grace, Kurt strutted down the long runway, counting his steps to the beat of the pulsing music playing all around him. He was the most important person in the world, and he used his body (which was poised to perfection) to send his message across.

It was finally hitting him that the goal he and his friends had been gearing towards was tomorrow. In less than twenty-four hours, all of their life work, Sebastian's reputation as a designer and the very thing that had brought them together would be put to the ultimate test.

For one split second, Kurt almost lost his focus when he caught Sugar, Unique and Puck gaping at him down in the audience, but he saved himself just in time. His mouth upturned into a superior grin just as he turned around to go in the other direction. He would have to work on his ankle movements to get the right combination needed for the change to be seamless.

By the time his stint across the runway was over, Kurt had come up with a dozen ways to perfect his performance. He just hoped it would be enough to secure first place for Sebastian, though he did remind himself that he was just the canvas for his boyfriend's work of art to be displayed on.

Sebastian was waiting for him just off stage and Kurt almost broke down crying at the sight of him; there was so much love in his eyes, so much adoration and awe. It still amazed Kurt that someone so incredible could hold him in such high esteem.

"You almost lost it out there," Sebastian said, acting as if his eyes weren't shimmering with awe.

The added height of his boots made it so Kurt was actually taller than his boyfriend; and he kind of liked that.

"I know," Kurt replied, as he accepted Sebastian's congratulatory hug. "How was I aside from my near slip up? I'm dying to know and you're the only one who I trust to give me your honest answer."

"You mean I'm the only one who has the audacity to give my honest opinion, despite how the recipient may react?"

"That too."

Sebastian cupped the sides of Kurt's face and kissed him full on the mouth; the outside world faded away, all that mattered was the intoxicating sensation of Sebastian's lips against his. It felt like ages since they had really kissed. Whatever the actual answer was, it felt as if Kurt hadn't been this close to his boyfriend in eons. The electric tingling shot down his body, setting his heart blazing; he grabbed possessively at Sebastian, clasping his neck and shoulder as they continued to lock lips.

Someone around them cheered at the hot display, but neither boy reacted to it, they were too wrapped up in each other (almost literally).

Everything came back into focus when Sebastian eventually pulled back, leaving Kurt a giddy and dumbstruck mess of a person-for the second time that day. Kurt blushed bright red, sputtered off as he fluttered his eyes at his smirking boyfriend. "I wasn't _that_ good, Sebastian."

"Sorry; couldn't help myself." Sebastian took a deep breath and let it out slowly; his eyes were lit with excitement. "I fucking saw it, Kurt, I saw you dressed in the suit and owning it like a crown royal boss! I wasn't the only one either; the handful of people in the audience were utterly captivated by you, babe. Everyone stopped what they were doing to watch you."

"That's what nearly broke my concentration; I saw their expressions and could barely believe it… I'm still amazed that I held it together and didn't break character," Kurt admitted.

"I almost choked when I noticed your split second lapse, but I seriously doubt anyone else caught it."

"I'm going to do a hundred times better tomorrow," Kurt said without a hint of doubt, which showed just how full circle he had come since he had first met Sebastian. He never would have dreamed that he could have so much faith in himself in such a short span of time. This is what it felt like to do something he felt so passionate about; no wonder Sebastian put so much effort into his designs.

"So what happens now?" Kurt asked as Sebastian started to lead him by the hand off of the backstage area.

"Unique and Sugar want to throw us all a pre-show day party at the Atelier, and I dunno about you, but I'm sure in the mood to celebrate!"

Kurt laughed; he could go for a party right about now too. The couple made their way back to the audience where their three friends were giddily waiting for them. Kurt was soon blushing red from the praise they showered on him. It filled him with more hope than he'd ever thought possible; he really really wanted them to win tomorrow! He'd never wanted something so badly, and it was both exhilarating and terrifying.

But Kurt wasn't about to spend the wait until the show worrying; not if he had anything to say about it. So what if he had no idea whether they would be celebrating their first place win tomorrow or not, Kurt wasn't about to let that or anything else stop him from his goal.

He would do Paradis Bise proud tomorrow, he was sure of it.

_

As much as he enjoyed the festivities that the ladies of Paradis Bise had put together, Sebastian had made it very clear (via various innuendos, eye cues and even the tone of his voice) that he wished to be alone with his boyfriend. And since he didn't go so far to ask them to leave, Kurt was none the wiser when Unique, Puck and Sugar had made their exit a few minutes ago.

Though in all honesty, Kurt probably knew what his boyfriend was up to, which was fine by Sebastian. After Kurt said his goodbye to the ladies at the door, he casually made his way back to Sebastian, who was innocently reclining by the bar.

Kurt grinned at him with playful adoration as he returned to Sebastian's side, and snuggled up nice and close. "That was fun," he said, sliding his arm to drape across the Sebastian's back and hugging his side.

"It was," Sebastian simply replied; Kurt had his coy act going on, and it was already working wonderfully to get him in the mood. He leaned in close, smiling as he nestled his face against the side of Kurt's neck before kissing him there.

Kurt brought his free hand to clasp the other side of Sebastian's waist and let out a little moan of pleasure. He seemed more than content to let Sebastian start things off for them with a pace that was almost lazy-but in the best possible way. "I was afraid you'd send me on my way once the party was over, since it's the eve of the show and all," he admitted.

"I had considered it, but then I figured sex is a sure-fire way to make sure we'll be at the peak of our games tomorrow."

"Is that what this is then? Or will be, once we move onto your place," Kurt said, smirking.

"Why waste any of our precious time going there when we can have our way with one another right here?" countered Sebastian, who used Kurt's surprise to claim his lips with a passionate kiss to help get him on board with the idea.

The moment the kiss was over Sebastian had the pleasure to watch Kurt's wide eyes flutter with stunned delight. His cheeks darkened, but his bashful response only lasted for a couple of seconds before he redeemed himself by kissing his boyfriend back.

"What if we make a mess of things?" Kurt asked when he bothered to pull his mouth off of Sebastian's.

"This is me you're talking about Kurt, and I'm always prepared. Not only do I have protection and lube on hand here, but a short trip to the bathroom will bring us warm towels and there's a steam cleaner in the closet too."

Kurt frowned at Sebastian in annoyance, putting the beginnings of their makeout session on hold before it had gotten a chance to really hit it off. He was obviously picturing the many men Kurt thought Sebastian had brought here to hook up with to warrant such supplies. If it had been anyone else and if Sebastian weren't so bent on reigniting their usual chemistry so they could continue where they'd started off, he would have gone on one of his superior rants.

"I didn't start keeping condoms and lube here until you and I had been dating for two weeks, Kurt. If there were any here before hand, then either Puck or possibly Sugar would be the one to blame," Sebastian said.

"So you've never had sex with anyone here?" The doubt in Kurt's voice was easy to pick up on, and Sebastian really couldn't blame him for it.

Sebastian shrugged, unable to deny himself his usual response, though he kept it short. "I've had guys here before, but I've never had full on sex with any of them. For one thing, I didn't feel even remotely connected with any of them to put in the effort. And I didn't trust them to be careful with all the stuff around here either. But you're different Kurt, for obvious reasons, but also because you not only understand my love of designing, you share it as well, on some level anyway. That alone is enough to tip the scale and make sure we were properly provisioned in case we got swept up in the moment and didn't want to wait till we got to my place to fuck each other's brains out."

Kurt snorted, "I'll take that as a compliment I suppose."

"You'd be an idiot not to." Sebastian kissed him again, and was relieved that his boyfriend instantly responded to it.

The couple kept the kisses coming, heavily making out and enjoying every minute of it. Kurt grabbed onto the sides of Sebastian's collar and that's when things got deeper and more urgent. Kurt had managed to maneuver their bodies so he was sitting on one of the stools with Sebastian leaning over him. The new position suited Sebastian very well, or nearly so and to make it perfect, he lodged himself in between Kurt's opened legs. Sebastian put his hands on Kurt's hips and hiked his boyfriend up a bit so they could get as close as possible.

Sebastian lips began to take a detour from Kurt's mouth and travelled down to the side of his neck again. The first three buttons were already undone, but that still wasn't enough exposed skin for Sebastian's liking. _'Time to lose some layers,'_ he thought, making quick work of the remaining buttons on Kurt's shirt.

Kurt helped Sebastian slide out of his shawl collar gilet and it was tossed onto the bar counter beside them. Both of their dress shirts soon joined it, and that was enough for Sebastian, who wasted no time in giving his boyfriend a row of hickies on his now exposed collar bone.

"It's been way too long since we've gotten to do this," Kurt muttered under his breath, shuddering with pleasure from his boyfriend's touch. "And it sure beats the times when we've had to stop before it could even reach this point."

"Just wait until the show's over, and that will all change for the better, babe." Sebastian ran his hands down Kurt's chest and around to his back and up his undershirt. The subtle hint was enough for Kurt to lean back so he could pull the garment off of himself, leaving his upper frame deliciously exposed.

Fuck! Kurt's naked body was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen! The smoothness of his skin, his tight muscles, his thick arms and trim waist, every inch of him was a human masterpiece. He couldn't wait until he had enough time to truly savour their intimate moments together. But for the time being, Sebastian just wanted to have some good old fashioned hot and heavy sex.

Kurt had almost his full weight against Sebastian now; he was barely sitting on the edge of his stool, and his legs were wrapped around his boyfriend's torso. Their faces were close together, the desire in their eyes as clear and day and at the same high intensity.

"I wanna fuck you," Sebastian groaned as their groins rubbed together. "I've forgotten what it feels like to be inside you and I hate that."

"I thought you didn't have a preference?" Kurt teased, smirking at him.

"I don't; it depends on my moods, but is it my fault that your ass is so deliciously tight that I wanna fuck you all the time?" Sebastian flirted back. "If I didn't love how good it feels when you fuck me, I could be in serious risk at going back on my word and become an actual top at this rate."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Which wouldn't be a bad thing, but I like it when we switch things up, it keeps it interesting."

"So I can top this time though?"

"Oh, god yes, please do!" Kurt shouted back with such enthusiasm Sebastian burst out laughing, but in a giddy 'man-I-love-my-boyfriend' kind of way.

Now that they knew who was going to fuck whom (for this first round anyway) Sebastian knew he'd better get his stash of condoms and lube before it became too hard to tear himself away from Kurt for even a second. He whispered into Kurt's ear that he'd be right back and left him on the stool so he could dart over to his hiding spot in one of the Atelier's many closets. He quickly opened the innocent looking tub from behind a box of sewing tools. Everything inside was as Sebastian had left it and he made a quick stop at the bathroom next. Technically speaking the towels he took from there and ran over some hot water weren't meant for post sex cleanup. But they would work just fine, and Sebastian would never allow a single trace of his and Kurt's amorous activities tonight to be left. Not because of any possible embarrassment, but because sloppy just wasn't his style, especially when it came to sex.

Kurt was right where he had left him and struck a provocative pose as soon as Sebastian was back. His handsome face slightly upturned, his blue eyes transfixed upon Sebastian; and best of all, he had his superior model expression (or bitch face, as Sebastian playfully referred to it his his head) on. He had his legs crossed over one another, and he was leaning forward enough so his chin could comfortably rest on the back of his hand.

As Sebastian neared him, he noticed that the top button of Kurt's pants was undone and the fly zipped down halfway. "Already getting bored of waiting for me?"

"I considered taking them off completely, to save you the trouble, but you came back before I could," Kurt replied matter-of-factly.

"It must be my lucky day then." Sebastian placed the roll of condons and tube of lube on the stool beside Kurt and knelt down in front of him. He kissed Kurt's stomach lightly as he finished unzipping the fly of his pants, and fought to slide them down his boyfriend's hips. They finally came off with a bit more coaxing and Kurt playfully held out each of his legs to help. Once the job was done Sebastian tossed them onto the bar counter; the floor wasn't dirty but it felt too much of a crime of fashion to discard them so carelessly. He decided it would be wise for him to lose his pants while he was on a roll (and still had the patience to do it).

Any lingering thoughts about tomorrow and what was at stake were dropped along with his pants. All that mattered was Kurt, and how he made Sebastian feel so lucky to be alive. With only their boxer-briefs remaining, Sebastian straightened himself back up and resumed the enjoyable position they were in before. Kurt welcomed him with open arms (and legs) and kissed him deeply. Heart pounding, Sebastian was so stricken with lust that he lifted Kurt right off of the stool.

"Easy there!" Kurt laughed in his surprise, but he managed to hold on with his thighs enough to keep from falling backwards.

Sebastian reeled back a bit to regain his balance and all it took was a quick glance at each other to go back to making out. As much as Sebastian would have liked to think he could remain upright like this forever, his back would surely give out pretty soon. So he shuffled them both over to the chaise lounge (but not before clumsily grabbing the condoms and lube) and planted himself on it. Kurt hurriedly rearranged himself so he was straddling Sebastian's waist once he settled back down; he was the very embodiment of confidence. It sent shivers down Sebastian's spine and goosebumps across his skin; he never would have pictured himself being with someone who could overpower him by so much.

Kurt wasn't really trying to be in the one in charge though, he even seemed to be urging Sebastian to rise to his level.

Kurt ran his hands through Sebastian's hair and began to arch himself upwards.

"Fuck I've missed this!" Sebastian blurted.

"Sebastian," Kurt whined as he pushed his body up and down, rocking in rhythm along with his boyfriend.

"I better finger you before we end up coming in our enthusiasm here, babe." Kurt stopped moving; he was breathing loudly but Sebastian was in a similar state as well. It felt as if he and Kurt had gone months without getting any action, even though some part of his brain knew it had probably only been a few days.

He pulled down at the waistband of Kurt's boxer-briefs, and asked for his boyfriend to move off of him so they could be removed. Sebastian stood up for a moment to take off his last layer as well and kissed Kurt to keep him nice and turned on during the short interlude.

Naked at long last, there was finally nothing left in the couple's way, and nothing for them to do but enjoy themselves, and boy did Sebastian intend to. He picked up the tube of lube that he'd hastily tossed on to the chaise lounge and applied a generous amount to three of his fingers on his right hand.

"I wanna take you from behind," Sebastian said, guiding Kurt over to the arm of the chaise lounge.

Kurt's eyes lit up with excitement at the idea and he bite in his bottom lip in anticipation. "Knock yourself out..." he stuck his ass out, putting it on full display in front of Sebastian, making it that much easier for him to take him. "Fuck me for all you're worth." The grin Kurt produced was exactly the sort that Sebastian usually gave to him. His voice was dripping with seduction, and he was using his deadly lower register that drove Sebastian wild. But that wasn't even his biggest weapon, because he went on to finish with,"I'm nice and ready for you, Hotshot."

Sebastian grinned back at him; this had to be first time Kurt had called him anything aside from his first name. They'd never talked about pet names and whether to use any or not; he'd started calling Kurt babe on a whim and his boyfriend had never commented about it.

It didn't even matter that the name Kurt had used him was the one his show competitors at SAIC used. Kurt could have called him the most offensive thing on the planet (whatever that could be) and Sebastian's knees still would have turned to jelly.

"Here I come," Sebastian announced, smugly grinning to himself. He placed his left hand on Kurt's tail bone and bent over to kiss the small of his back and he waited for the lube to warm up enough in his fingers.

He normally enjoyed the art of foreplay with Kurt, but not tonight, so he stepped and and began to finger Kurt. Even though he couldn't wait to move onto the next part, he couldn't afford to become careless in his haste. The last thing he wanted was to have Kurt end up with a noticeable limp on the catwalk tomorrow, and he used that worrisome scenario to keep his impatient libido in check.

Kurt started to rock himself backwards onto Sebastian's fingers as he slowly thrust in and out of him. His quickening pace was a good sign that it wouldn't be long before they could move onto the main event.

"Somebody wants it bad, huh?" Kurt asked with audible amusement that went perfectly with the wry smile on his face.

"Guilty as charged, I'm feeling super starved for sex right now. I'd settle for us only doing it once, but I hoping we'll have enough energy-and time-for a second round."

"I say we focus on our first orgasm for now and see what we're left with on both accounts afterwards," Kurt advised.

In the end, one time was all they managed, but neither of them seemed to mind at all.

Kurt was busy putting his tussled hair back into stylish order when Sebastian stepped into the bathroom. He winked at Kurt as he claimed the sink to run hot water over the hand towels they'd used.

It hadn't taken them very long to clean up the studio, though that was mainly because there hadn't been much to clean up after.

Sebastian let out a tired breath after he put the towels away; he was practically pouting and looking too adorable for words. "That's it for tonight I guess." The way he was acting, one would think he hadn't had any sex at all.

"That's what happens when we've been burning the candle at both ends." Kurt head was still in a bit of a daze from the intensity of his orgasm. He suspected that Sebastian had gone all out once he realized that they weren't going to make it to a second round.

"If it's all right with you, I'd like to stay here for a bit longer to recharge. Or else I'm not sure I'll make it to my front door, let alone all the way up to my bedroom," Kurt said, following his boyfriend out of the bathroom.

Sebastian shrugged, and mosied himself over to the chaise lounge to sit down. He patted the spot beside him and Kurt happily joined him there.

"Just try not to fall asleep," Kurt warned with a yawn.

"I'm not that tired, but we could always talk to keep ourselves fully awake."

There was one topic Kurt was quite interested in, but he didn't think it was the right time to ask him yet. When visiting SAIC Kurt had noticed how the other competitors for the show looked to be all upperclassmen, so he was curious to find out how Sebastian fit into the group. It had suddenly dawned on him that even after all this time, he knew next to nothing about the contest itself. He had no idea what the rules were or what the prizes were or how many there were. If it weren't the night before the big event then he would have asked Sebastian right now, but because it was T-minus to show time, he was hesitant.

He doubted the details would be anything big; he just didn't want any extra pressure thrust upon him at the last minute. So he had decided that he would save his queries until the show was over and the results were given. For all Kurt knew, Sebastian would voluntarily tell him about it with little or no prompting.

Sebastian put his arm around Kurt's waist. "So what did you think of SAIC?"

"I liked it, from what I saw of it anyway. I will definitely take you up on that guided tour as soon as it's possible."

"Do you think you could see yourself applying there for next year?"

Kurt pursed his lips together as he pondered the idea. The thought had entered his mind before of course, even before Sebastian had asked him about it during a past conversation. "Possibly, but I still need to properly research what programs and classes are available to see if any of them are a good fit for me." He highly doubted there was a modelling major, as much as he wished it was that easy. "I do wonder how us going to the same school would go though."

"Are you insinuating that we would get sick of seeing one another so much?" Sebastian asked, smirking to show he wasn't being remotely serious. "I'll be in a different program and grade, and it's a pretty big campus, so it would be easy enough to avoid one another."

Kurt just rolled his eyes. "I hope it would come to that."

Sebastian gave Kurt's waist a loving squeeze before he slumped back down on the chaise lounge, pulling his boyfriend along so he was now resting on top of him.

"You're gonna do great wherever you end up Kurt, whether it's in a new college, or as a highly-sought model, or whatever else might come your way," Sebastian informed him with the utmost confidence.

"Do you ever wonder what it would have been like if we'd gone to the same high school, Sebastian?" Kurt asked, changing the subject as they snuggled together on the lounge.

"I doubt we would have gotten along, I was a real jackass back then, if you can believe it." Sebastian smirked and shook his head; he apparently found the memory quite amusing. "I mean, I was still charming and all, but I didn't bother to filter my words."

"Would you have bothered to hit on me at all?" Kurt had been as far in the closet as possible during his high school days, but Sebastian probably would have been able to tell he was gay still.

"I would have had fun trying to get you all riled up and wanting me, until your clueless in the closet boy act got on my nerves too much to bother anymore."

There was still a lot about Sebastian's high school days that Kurt didn't know about, mainly by choice since much of it included all the guys he'd had sex with. Now he found himself rather curious as to what the slightly younger (and ruder) version of his now loving boyfriend was like.

"I was still in the closet when we first met though," Kurt pointed out.

"I could tell you didn't want to be anymore."

Kurt smiled at Sebastian and sighed, "Yes I did." He could have elaborated, but he didn't really feel like it.

Sebastian seemed to sense this as well. "We should probably get going." He stood up and helped Kurt to his feet. "Before you mom calls you demanding where you are at this late hour."

That was all the coaxing Kurt needed to head for home, because knowing Margaret, she would do something exactly like that. After they spent the drive flirting with one another, Kurt took his time saying his goodbyes, and they shared a couple of kisses in Sebastian's convertible before he eventually forced himself out of the vehicle.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Kurt said once he was standing in front of his door; Sebastian had insisted on walking him there, and he'd felt no need to deny them the small pleasure.

Just as Sebastian leaned in to give one final kiss, Kurt moved himself back and playfully shook his head. "Oh no, you'll get no more kisses from me until tomorrow, in fact… I'm tempted to say that we shouldn't kiss again until the show is over."

"Try all you want but you won't make it," Sebastian casually replied, and he waved at Kurt before heading back to his car.

Kurt watched him go for a moment and grinned. _'I'll send him a cute text once I'm settled down for the night.'_

The second Kurt stepped inside the house he discovered that his mom was in the living room and she instantly stood and frowned at him. '_Uh-oh.'_ He knew that look all right; she had been waiting up for him then, which he thought was pretty ridiculous. Kurt didn't have a curfew, and he wasn't so late that he felt the need to call home.

Margaret narrowed her eyes as she looked at her son. "Where were you?" she asked; she was using her judgemental mom voice that Kurt had always hated.

Past experiences kept Kurt from telling her that he'd just come back from having hot sex with Sebastian. He'd learned his lesson by now and wasn't about to share such personal details with his mother.

Kurt closed the door behind him, cast her a cool glance and as he passed her, he curtly answered, "Out."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

Kurt had been on the go, but when he set foot on campus ground, he came to a sudden halt. The School of the Art Institute of Chicago was a buzz of activity: there were so many people around, it looked like over half of the city's populace had come to see the fashion show. Such a scene would have sent Kurt into a full blown panic a few months ago, and even now he felt intimidated by it. Sebastian had warned him that the fashion show always brought in big numbers of people, but he hadn't really put things into perspective until now.

_'I can do this. Nothing has changed,'_ Kurt told himself, pushing doubt from his mind. He was Sebastian's choice, and more than anything, he wanted to prove his boyfriend right.

A familiar feminine figure pushed her way through the crowd, rushed over to where Kurt was standing and cheered, "Angel!" Sugar was wearing a truly adorable outfit with a skirt that had so many frilly layers she looked like a pink and purple frosted cupcake.

In his case, Kurt had opted a more simple look; going with a purple v-neck sweater and a pair of blue skinny jeans. He figured there was little point in dressing all fancy when he'd be changing into the showpiece in a few hours. If there was to be any celebrating later on that night-as in the public kind with friends-Kurt would just let Sebastian pick out something for him to wear.

"It's nice to see you as cheerful as ever," Kurt said as she hugged him. Sebastian had actually been the one he was originally supposed to meet, until his boyfriend has sent him a brief text that read 'Can't come. Sending Sugar' to him twenty minutes ago.

"It's my superpower." Sugar let him go, but only so she could urge him to follow her along. "What about you, how are _you_ feeling, Angel?"

"I feel as well as I was during the rehearsal, or even better than that actually; I managed to get some sleep and I ate properly this morning too."

Sugar beamed at him. "Good, because today is probably going to be the busiest you've even been. And then, if we manage to win first place, we'll need to attend tomorrow's awards ceremony too."

"Bring it on, I can take it-just ask Sebastian," Kurt said with a playful wink, which made Sugar giggle with amusement.

Kurt was enjoying himself already, though he did find it surprising that Sugar wasn't clinging to his hand like usual. He didn't mind her keeping a small distance between them-as long as he hadn't done something to cause it (he couldn't think of anything). It wasn't until Sugar brought her hand to her face to tuck away a loose strand of hair that Kurt noticed something was off.

"Hold on," Kurt said as he came to a sudden stop. He gently took her left hand by the wrist and held it up in front of them. "Sugar, why are your hands purple?" He doubted it was a new fashion craze.

Sugar glanced at her hand and sighed; the tips of her fingers were royal purple as well as a few spots on her palms as well. "It turns out that the dye Sebastian had used on the top hat didn't take as well as he'd originally thought. He's not sure what caused it-maybe it wasn't stored in a cool enough place-but when I brought the hat out to get it ready for the show, as soon as I put it down I saw that my hands were stained with dye! I tried to wash it off with water but that didn't do anything." Sugar put her arms down and tucked them out of sight. "I'm just lucky I didn't get any of it on my clothes!"

Kurt's eyes widened; this didn't sound good at all. "That's horrible!"

"It's dry now at least, so that lessens the chances of me leaving purple fingerprints on anything-or anyone."

"I meant it's horrible for the show. Does Sebastian have any idea what to do about it?"

"He said he'd think of something; that's why he sent me here to come meet you 'in his stead.'"

Not even Sugar's dead on impression of Sebastian could put Kurt at ease; he was that worried. Why hadn't Sebastian told him what was going on? He'd certainly had ever chance to; all it would have taken was a quick text! Did he think Kurt couldn't take the news and… he needed to calm down before that actually happened.

"Do you think everything will work out? I normally wouldn't doubt Sebastian's ability, but there so little time left until the show." Kurt was willing to wear the top hat still, on the chance that Sebastian hadn't come up with a solution yet. He didn't even care if it he'd get a purple a ring around his head, though he really hoped it wouldn't come to such drastic measures.

Kurt urged Sugar to take him to where the rest of the group were, which turned out to be a smaller sized classroom.

"Our model's arrived!" Sugar announced as she skipped inside.

"That's one less thing to worry about then," Sebastian said from his spot sitting in front of a table.

Seated beside him was a man, who wasn't Puck, but was still someone Kurt was acquainted with. "What is Elliott doing here?" Kurt hoped he hadn't sounded too rude; he was just surprised to see the handsome makeup artist there.

Elliott glanced up at Kurt and smiled at him with his usual friendly charm; he was dressed just as stylishly as he had been on the day of the GQ Magazine shoot. He was currently bent over some kind of container on the table and rooting through its contents.

"Hello Kurt, Seb here called me up a short while ago and explained the top hat dilemma you guys were having and asked me to come bail him out." Elliott straightened himself up and cast a glance at Sebastian, who shrugged at him. "And luckily for him, I happened to be in the area-I never miss the SAIC fashion show if I can help it-and after I went home to grab the necessary supplies, I high tailed it over here." He dangled his foot out from under the table to show off his impressive high platform goth boots. "I made it in pretty good time considering I'm wearing these babies as well."

That explained some things, but not all of them, so Kurt looked to Sebastian in the hopes he would fill in the blanks.

Sebastian let out a dramatic sigh. "It took all but five minutes for me to realize that the dye's running way too much to be able to salvage the top hat. So I put my metaphorical thinking cap on and managed to come up with something else. That's where Elliott comes in; I knew if anyone would have what I needed and could get it on short notice, it would be him."

"What can I say, I am lover of fabulous things, and not ashamed to admit it," Elliott confessed.

"You and me both," Unique said with a knowing smile.

Kurt, who had grown too curious to wait until someone what finally told him what Elliott had brought, leaned over to peer into the contents of his container on the table. Inside were various accessories, and all of them were definitely fabulous.

"We're going to utilize that gorgeous head of hair of yours Kurt, and embellish it with purple plumes," Sebastian explained as he picked out a fine purple feather and held it up for his boyfriend to see. "We'll add a couple of these to your bangs, and then we'll style your hair up nice and tall, and top it all off with a purple sheen spray that should catch the light quite nicely on stage."

"I'll take your word for it," Kurt replied.

"It's still not my first choice, but even I can learn to compromise now and then."

"I'm impressed, you're usually such a perfectionist." Kurt watched Sebastian shrug at him; he certainly seemed calm enough, but that didn't mean too much when it came to his boyfriend.

"He doesn't have the time to come up with anything better," Puck said from behind them all.

Since as far as Kurt could tell, whatever possible drama the top hat might have caused seemed to be over, he willed himself to relax. Taking long breaths, Kurt looked around the room as saw the various pieces of the showpiece outfit were laid about. Unique was now scanning every inch of the jacket with a lint brush in her hand, while Puck was hanging up the freshly ironed pants, and Sugar had collected up the ring, gloves and cane and carefully put them on the end of the table.

Sebastian picked out two more feathers and showed them to Elliott, who nodded in approval. "I need to see how the application process works and if the feathers will stay on secure enough for our needs. Do I have any volunteers?" he asked, turning to look straight at Puck, who just flipped him off to show his complete disinterest.

Both Sugar and Unique threw their hands up in the air at almost in unison to show their willingness, thus sparing Puck from being forced into compliance. Sebastian just sighed in defeat. Kurt got the feeling that things would have gone very differently if time had been on Sebastian's side though.

Unique was up first and Sebastian went to work as soon as she sat down; Elliott took a back seat himself and just handed things over when requested.

_'We've worked so hard for today,'_ Kurt thought as he silently watched. He clutched his arms that were tightly crossed over his chest. _'They've worked so hard…'_ And yet here they all were, laughing together and acting as if were just another day for them. It made him wonder what the first place prize could possibly be; would they just get some shiny trophy? Was there some sort of cash amount to be given? Kurt had no clue, and he still couldn't bring up the nerve to ask.

Kurt's mind kept coming up with all sorts of scenarios, none of which were remotely positive. If something were to go wrong now, when there was no room for error, what were the chances that they could come back from it? He was finding it difficult to hold onto the optimism he'd woken up with that morning.

Elliott place his hand on Sebastian's shoulder after the girls were finished being glamified. "Nicely done, Seb. I dunno about any of you, but I think the feathers will be just the thing to add an extra oomf to the whole ensemble."

"What do you think, babe? Are you up for it? I can take them out right away, or you could always keep them in for a while," Sebastian said, turning to face his boyfriend.

Kurt blinked back into awareness. "Oh, um, whatever you think is best is fine by me, Sebastian." This was not the time for him to get lost in his thoughts; he needed to remain utterly focused. But Kurt was finding it difficult to hold onto the optimism he'd woken up with that morning. What could he do to counteract it? The last thing Kurt wanted was for his growing concerns to be known to the group, but as soon as the thought entered his mind, he noticed Sebastian was staring at him. _'Oops; way to be discreet, Kurt, you are in for it now.'_

Except Kurt couldn't say for sure what Sebastian had picked up on, and what he would possibly do about it.

The answer came a second later, when Sebastian addressed the group and said, "Would you all excuse us for a moment? I believe our model is letting his nerves get the better of him."

"I'm fine," Kurt muttered back, though he knew it would be a losing battle.

Sure enough, Sebastian walked right up to his boyfriend, offered his hand and refused to budge. "Let me be the judge of that."

Kurt didn't even try to fight it, and just allowed himself to led by the hand towards the doorway of the classroom. On the inside, he was happy that Sebastian had noticed something was up with him, even though he felt guilty about taking his attentions away from the show. _'Sebastian wouldn't be taking me somewhere to talk if there wasn't enough time.' _

"You've got fifteen minutes before we coming looking for you two, so you better not be sneaking off for a quicky!" Puck called to the couple as they disappeared out into the hallway.

There were so many people bustling all around them, Kurt found it difficult to open himself emotionally and admit what was wrong with him. It also didn't help that Kurt had no idea what to tell Sebastian either, he just felt… lost.

So far, Sebastian hadn't said anything to him yet, and continued to lead them along, all the way to an inconspicuous looking door. "Don't tell me you actually did bring me all the way here so we could hook up on campus?" Just the fact that Kurt was able to joke at this point was a good sign-or so he hoped. It all depended on what Sebastian had in mind, and how hard he would push Kurt to get to bottom of things (no pun intended).

"If that really were the case-which it isn't-then this is the last place I would have brought you to, Kurt." Sebastian opened the door next, and stepped aside so Kurt could see what lay within.

It turned out to be nothing but a stairwell. Kurt peered inside and didn't see or hear any signs of activity either. "Even when it's conveniently empty?"

"It leads to the roof, which isn't any place most people would go up to right now, but I didn't bring you here so we could fuck."

The outside world was shut off from Kurt as the door closed behind them and he eyed the area before turning around to address Sebastian. "Why did you bring me then, if not to act out a scene from a gay porno I'm sure actually exists out there somewhere?" He was no closer to lifting the heavy feeling of dread weighing him down, but that didn't meant he couldn't flirt with his boyfriend. The welcomed quiet serenity of the location was already doing a bit of good for Kurt, who finally could breathe again, but would it be enough?

"I brought you here so you could have a moment of peace and quiet," Sebastian came over to stand at the bottom of the stairs. "In the hopes that you can find your confidence again and believe in yourself as much as we all do."

"And how am I supposed to do that exactly?"

With a smirk, Sebastian took hold of Kurt by the shoulders and guided him over to the set of stairs. "Take a seat," he said, and then waited to see if his boyfriend would or not.

On the off chance that whatever fix Sebastian had in mind worked, Kurt decided to humour his boyfriend, taking a seat on the fourth step.

"Good. Now close your eyes, take a deep breath and count to ten," Sebastian instructed in a soothing voice.

"I don't really see the point, but all right," Kurt said as he shut his eyes. He tried his best to collect all of his worries with his intake breath and metaphorically let them go on exhale.

"I've been researching emotional anxiety online, and I came across a very useful article about using affirmations with each breath. Are you familiar with the practice, Kurt?"

Kurt just nodded; it was a good idea, so he saw no reason not to give it a try.

One. _'Sebastian believes in me.'_

Two. _'Sugar believes in me.'_

Three. _'Unique believes in me.'_

Four. _'Puck believes in me.' _

Five._ 'But what will happen when the show's over?'_

Things were going well so far, but then, just as Kurt thought he'd defeated the doubt in his mind, a question popped into his head, one he couldn't seem to escape.

Six. _'What if we lose?'_

Kurt didn't know if he could face them if they lost; just imagining the disappointment in their eyes terrified Kurt. _'No!'_ his inner model yelled at him._ 'Don't think about that; think about how far you've come and all that you've gained.'_ No matter the outcome, Kurt had already won so much, and that would beat any sort of trophy.

Seven. _'My friends won't abandon me.' _

Eight. _'Sebastian will still love me.'_

Nine._ 'They believe in me.'_

Ten. _'I believe in me.'_

When he opened his eyes he found Sebastian standing in front of him and they shared a loving smile.

"How do you feel?" Sebastian asked; his hands were in his pockets, yet Kurt knew he had his boyfriend's undivided attention.

"Better." Kurt wasn't lying either (Sebastian would see right through him for sure); his confidence was back at full capacity, all that remained was the lingering fear of failure, but he could deal with that; he knew he could, and he wouldn't let it affect him on the runway.

Kurt was just about to tell Sebastian he was well enough to return, when his phone got a sudden text alert.

"That Puck?" Sebastian asked.

"No, it's Shelby Corcoran, wishing me good luck with the show." He was typing 'thank you' to her when she sent him another text. His eyes widened for a moment, but then it was replaced with a warm smile. "She's here to see the show, which she always makes sure to attend. Isabelle is with her as well…" Kurt waited for a moment as his phone showed she was typing more and pursed his lips together when he saw a certain name appear. "So's your mom."

Sebastian just shrugged at him. "I thought she might; it's nothing to me if she's here or not."

"If you say so." Kurt just hoped that Terri wouldn't try to invite herself to any of their celebratory plans later that night. He wouldn't put it past Sebastian to tell her outright that she wasn't on the list.

"She'll just be another face in the crowd, and I'll be too busy prepping for the show to fulfill any family obligations, not that I would have, even if I did have the time." Sebastian went on to explain.

Kurt affectionately rolled his eyes at his boyfriend as he replied to Shelby's messages and thanked her for all of her well wishes. He had just finished typing up one final message before he would put his phone away, but that plan was abruptly thrown out the window.

_Well will you look at that, Sebastian's father has just arrived._

"No way," Kurt muttered under his breath in disbelief; he had no idea how to respond, either to Shelby, or to Sebastian, who might not want to hear that his dad was here. Or not, Kurt honestly had no idea how his boyfriend would react; he knew virtually nothing about the man-he didn't even know his first name! Would Sebastian become irritated? Would he shrug it off like he had done with Terri, and if he did, would he be hiding his true feelings under his usual mask of indifference.

Kurt was tempted to keep the news to himself, just to play it safe, and maybe even delete the message off his phone to cover his tracks.

"Problem?" Sebastian asked, leaning over the stairs to eye Kurt's curiously, grinning all the while.

There went that hope then; Kurt should have known better than to think he could keep anything from his boyfriend. Especially when he hadn't thought to keep his own reaction under wraps, or his phone out of view, though that would have just brought more attention.

Honesty it was then, Kurt just hoped it was the right call. "Shelby just texted me that your dad is here too."

Sebastian didn't shrug this time, in fact, he didn't move at and and just replied, "I know."

"You do?" Kurt asked, widening his eyes.

"He told me he was planning to, and I wasn't about to forbid him from coming. It's a public event and it hardly matters to me if he's here."

"When was the last time you saw him?" Kurt asked before he could stop himself; he was just so curious about their relationship. He had no clue why! He just was.

"About a month ago I guess; we don't really bother to meet up that regularly. Our discussion about the show and him attending it happened about two weeks ago though."

_'And you never thought to tell me about this?'_ Kurt thought begrudgingly, but he didn't bother to voice this to his boyfriend. The last thing either of them needed right now was to have an argument; so Kurt was willing to act mature and let the matter drop-at least for now. "I had no idea the fashion show was such a big event-I mean, outside of SAIC," Kurt said instead.

"It's a pretty big deal…" Sebastian began with as he sat down on the step beside Kurt, who shuffled over to make room for him. He wasn't looking Kurt's way at all, and he leaned over to rest his arms on his legs, clasping his hands together. "At least it is for me, which is why I fought so hard to be able to participate in it."

Kurt's chin slipped off his folded hands in surprise. "Wait, what?"

"Freshmen usually aren't eligible to enter to show as a team leader; only junior and senior students are. Which is understandable, but that didn't stop me from giving it a shot still and luckily for me, my high performance levels from the first semester were so above the rest that I was given special permission to enter the show." Sebastian must have heard Kurt's sharp breath, because he finally turned to his boyfriend and smiled sheepishly at him. "Yeah, I knew you'd be surprised to hear that…"

It took Kurt a moment to find his voice again, he was that stunned from having the rug pulled out from under him. Kurt couldn't believe he hadn't thought about the fact that Sebastian, who was a freshman, was participating in such a big event. Kurt had just assumed any level of students could enter the show, but most first years didn't have the moxie to.

"Why did you decide to tell me this now?"

"I figured you have enough to stress over already."

Kurt knew getting angry over this new turn of events wouldn't be wise, and he wasn't really sure how he felt yet. "I understand why you did it, and it's honestly not that big of a deal, but thank you for telling me." He rested his head on his boyfriend's shoulder and placed his hand on his knee. He took a deep breath and let his fierce love for Sebastian chase away the doubt. "I believe in you, Sebastian," Kurt whispered.

Sebastian opened his mouth, but he didn't say any heartfelt reply and suddenly frowned. At first Kurt didn't know what was going on, until his boyfriend brought out his cell phone. He stared at the screen for a moment before letting out a heavy sigh.

"I'm afraid our time is up Kurt," Sebastian said, standing up and tapping Kurt on the shoulder to do the same. "Puck's less than subtle text, which reads 'Seb! You and Kurt better get your sorey-spelt 's-o-r-e-y'-which I'm sure he misspelled on purpose- asses back here or else' And while I normally wouldn't respond to such idle threats, in this case, it is in our best interest to head back now."

Kurt nodded, taking hold of Sebastian's hand once he descended the three steps between them. "I imagine it will take a while to get dressed for the show."

"That's the understatement of the world, but we'll make do with the time we have-somehow."

The couple stood at the foot of the stairs for a moment, neither one willing to let go of the other, and Kurt saw no reason to. He imagined all sorts of couples walked hand in hand down the hallway, so why couldn't they? It didn't even matter if he didn't go to this particular school, or that it was a Saturday with no classes in session.

Sebastian seemed to feel the say way; he didn't bother to open the door once they were at it. He turned to look back at Kurt, smirking at him and then-before Kurt could react-he pushed close in on Kurt's face and stole a kiss.

"I thought I said no kisses until the show's over?" Kurt asked flirtatiously when they were done.

"It's no use; no matter how hard I try, I can't hold myself back when you're around," Sebastian said, sighing with mock remorse.

Kurt pushed the door open and pulled on Sebastian's hand to get him to follow him through it. As they walked, he brought out his phone again to send a Shelby one final text.

_Heading off to get ready now. Do you have any final words of wisdom to bestow?_

Her reply came back just as Kurt and Sebastian were a few short steps away from their destination, and it was beyond perfect.

_**Just think to yourself 'I am the most fabulous man in the entire world.'**_

_

As soon as Kurt and Sebastian had returned, he and the rest of the group (Elliott had already left) had carefully transported the pieces of the show outfit to the assigned setup area. Once there, Kurt had been whisked over to the chairs at the far side of the room, where countless other models were getting ready as well. Sebastian chose one of the unoccupied chairs there for him and Kurt sat down.

Kurt tried not to notice all the people around them, or how gorgeous they all were, but it was nearly impossible not to. _'I may be fabulous, but I'm sure not the only one.' _

The first order of business (as Sebastian had so adorably stated) was makeup, which his boyfriend assured would be subtly done-to enhance Kurt's natural beauty. So Kurt obediently sat there as Sebastian took hold of a makeup sponge and began to gently apply foundation to his brow (to reduce any shine, he had explained).

Kurt didn't bother to say anything, and just watched Sebastian with silent adoration. _'He's so amazing.'_ The amount of focus he had, it just… there were no words. They might as well have been in a room all by themselves, Sebastian was that much in the zone. Each stroke of the brush Sebastian made was so precise that if Kurt didn't know him, he would have thought he was a professional makeup artist like Elliott.

Such dedication struck at Kurt's heartstrings, and filled him with such determination he feared he wouldn't be able to hold it all in.

"Nearly done," Sebastian said once he'd finished with the mascara.

Kurt had his back to the mirror, so he had no way to see the results so far, but he preferred that. He actually wasn't sure if he would look at his reflection at all.

"Are my eyes purple now?" Kurt playfully asked.

"Just a hint."

"Will it even show up on stage then?"

Sebastian smirked at him. "Relax, this is me you're talking about remember? I've taken that into account already. The eyeshadow has a shine to it that should sparkle in the light, and even if it doesn't, it still completes the effect I'm going for."

Unique, Sugar and Puck were busy doing their own thing (Kurt couldn't see them at the moment to know what exactly), so he couldn't ask any of them for their opinion. But Kurt completely trusted Sebastian and his vision.

"When will you do my hair? Before or after I put on the outfit?" His hair and makeup had been done first for the shoot for Isabelle, but this was a bit different, what with the colour sheen spray that would be added to his hair.

"First, luckily nothing needs to go over your head, so your hairdo won't get damaged. Don't stress about messing anything up though; I can always fix it once you're dressed." Sebastian picked up the hairbrush on the table and immediately switched into his hairdresser mode.

Perfection for once, as far as Kurt's coif was concerned, only ended up taking Sebastian fifteen minutes to achieve. The end results, although Kurt had yet to see them himself, seemed to be well beyond his boyfriend's hopes-judging by his adorable smirk of satisfaction.

Kurt's shoulders sagged with relief; so much for the stamina he'd shown at the Bellalise shoot, but then, he was so much more personally involved this time around. It was hard to stay relaxed when so much relied on him, no matter how much he believed in himself, the stress was still substantial.

But Sebastian just beamed at Kurt, his smile practically spanning from ear to ear. "Flawless, just like everything my skilled fingers create, though I must say, I think I've really outdone myself this time."

"Oh, brother," Kurt muttered, shaking his head at his boyfriend's smugness. Even though he desperately wanted them to win, he almost feared how big his ego would grow in that scenario.

"There they are!"

Kurt turned to see Sugar and Puck had just entered the room. "Where did you two run off to?" he asked at the couple hurried over to where he and Sebastian were seated.

"We went to go look at the size of the audience and it's a full house," Puck said.

"Angel!" Sugar squealed at the site of Kurt, who had already forgotten about his styled face and hair. "You look amazing! I-"

Now Sugar was the one to be cut short when Sebastian calmly placed a hand over her mouth to silence her. "Save your excitement for when he's in the showpiece; this is only the beginning, my dear." He removed his hand and Sugar bit her lip in apparent anxiety, her body quivering from the effort.

"We'd better get a move before Sugar implodes on herself," Kurt said.

Sebastian nodded in agreement, but didn't stand up for some reason. "I'll leave it to you then, Unique."

"I'm surprised you're letting someone else do the job," Puck admitted, which took the words right out of Kurt's mouth.

"I had considered it, but in the end I decided I'd rather see Kurt once he'd fully dressed. Unique has my complete faith, and is less likely to find Kurt's killer good looks too much of a distraction," Sebastian explained.

Unique placed her hands on her hips, her rhinestone jewelry shimmering from the movement. "I'm sure I'll manage-somehow." She flipped her hair and sent her dark curls bouncing over her shoulders. "Not that I don't think you're smoking hot, Angel."

Kurt mouthed 'stop it' after she gave him a playful wink.

"I already got permission for Kurt to get ready in the ladies changing room as well, so you're are all set to go," Sebastian explained.

"I'll help you carry the showpiece there!" Sugar volunteered as she went over to where the outfit was waiting. "And I'll promise I'll leave right after that; I wanna wait until Angel's done too."

No one was bothering to say it outright, but it was pretty clear that the reason Sebastian had gone to the trouble of allowing them in the ladies dressing room was for Unique's sake rather than Kurt's. Which Kurt instally agreed with, especially since he saw the warm smile on Unique's face when Sebastian made the fact known to the group. He'd much rather dress with the ladies anyway, even if it meant he might see more of them that he would have liked. Then again, this was an art school and not the men's locker room back in high school, so it probably wouldn't have been that bad with the men.

By Kurt's quick tally, more than a half of the models (and the designers) were female and he suspected a vast majority of the males in the room where gay. There was no way to know for sure, not without asking Sebastian, who no doubt knew the sexual orientation of every male in the room.

Kurt stepped up to Unique and extended his arm to her. "Shall we?"

"Lead the way," Unique musically replied, as if he were her handsome escort.

Arm in arm (their free hands were carrying parts of the showpiece) and with Sugar in tow, the three of them headed off to the changing room. Once there, Sugar carefully emptied her overfull arms and wished them both good luck before darting out of the room.

"Should I just undress here?" Kurt asked as he looked around; there was no sort of cover anywhere, and the women models in the room were in various states of undress (and redress). He tried his best to ignore them, and he hoped they would do the same once he started taking off his clothes. He'd be fine as soon as he got the pants on; after that he didn't care if anyone were to sneak a peek at him.

"I doubt anyone will notice; they're too focused on their own stuff," Unique replied, and a quick scan of the room showed she was right; so much for that then.

Since no was paying the slightest attention to him, Kurt promptly stripped off his skinny jeans, and he had just put his other leg into the show piece pants when he caught Unique's smirk. "It was Sebastian's idea," Kurt said, referring to the thong he was wearing.

Unique just nodded understandingly at him.

Now that Kurt lower region was modestly covered, he held his arms out to Unique. "Madam, I am yours to dress. Do with me what you will; my fashion fate is in your capable hands." He ended his little performance with a graceful bow, grinning at her as he rose back up.

"You're starting to sound like him now, Angel," Unique muttered with a shake of her head.

Kurt frowned at that. "I'm not that far gone." Her continuous grin seemed to speak otherwise though. "Am I?"

At first Unique didn't bother to reply, she simply picked up the dress shirt and walked behind him. Eying her playfully, Kurt, like a pro model who was used to this sort of thing, put his right and then left arm in each sleeve. He wasn't all that concerned if he did sound like his boyfriend or not, and he made sure that was obvious to Unique, who he was pretty sure had caught the message.

"You're looking particularly lovely today," Kurt said as he buttoned up the front of his shirt.

Unique's gown was a striking teal, and the fabric had an almost sheer texture to it. Of course Sebastian would know what the material was, but Kurt had only a rough idea (some kind of tulle perhaps?), but he didn't need to know to appreciate its beauty. The dress was layered with ruffles; the top part crossed over at the front of the bust in a v-shape. The empire waist style sash was decorated with a rhinestone broach, and vertical ruffles went down the front dress to the bottom hem. The fit and style flattered every inch of her curvaceous body, and the colour went beautifully with her dark skin tone. She was wearing a matching rhinestone necklace, as well as a hair pin. In some perfect twist of fate, the feathers Sebastian had put in her hair matched the colour of her dress so much it was amazing.

Unique, who had the waistcoat in her hands now, smiled at him. "This is the first dress I ever put on. I call it my lucky dress, which is why I wore it today." She swayed from side to side, twirling around to really show it off.

It didn't look store bought to Kurt, but he wasn't sure. "Did you make it?"

Unique shook her head. "I'll give you one guess who did though."

"My excessively talented boyfriend, Sebastian Smythe?"

"Who else."

"Now this is a story I need to hear!" Kurt gaze at her, batting his baby blues in hopes that she would give in. But Unique was too busy adjusting the position of the waistcoat on his body, either that or she was teasingly ignoring him. Her ever present smile was a hopeful sign, so Kurt added, "As long as it won't hinder your work that is."

"Do you seriously think this is my first time, hon?" Unique sassed, which made Kurt giggle (a little too loudly).

The collar to the dress shirt ended up giving Unique some trouble to get it to lay just right, but she began the tale anyway. "It happened the spring of my sophomore year of high school, so just before the end of the school year. We weren't close, but I felt like he was the only one at school who saw the real me-and didn't judge met for it. So I felt I could trust him enough to admit that I was a woman trapped in a man's body. Sebastian instantly accepted it, and kept my secret and I swear he started looking out for me-in his own smug way. People weren't bullying me as much as usual, and Sebastian kept showing up in the men's bathroom the same time as me. I didn't think about it at the time; I was just relieved things were getting slightly better. But then, one day, Sebastian asked me to come over to his house to study for a project we were working on together. I saw no reason to say no, even if I wouldn't have called Sebastian a friend at that point. So I went, never expecting what was about to happen to me when I stepped inside of his lavish bedroom."

Kurt could only imagine what Sebastian's room in the apartment he used to share with his mom looked like. Though on the other hand, and knowing him, it probably was a lot like the room he had now. He wondered if sixteen-year-old Sebastian very different from his nineteen-year-old self? The only difference Kurt knew about was that his boyfriend back then had been far more obnoxious, which was still hard for him to believe.

"The minute after Sebastian closed the door to his room, he said he had something for me," Unique continued as she went over to get the jacket.

"He was that direct back then too huh?"

"Didn't even bother to wait for me to answer before he strolled over to his bed and nonchalantly picked up his surprise and proudly showed it to me." 

That sounded so like his boyfriend that Kurt could practically envision Sebastian's grinning face as if he had been there himself. "What did you do?" If it were Kurt, he probably would have shouted 'oh no' and run from the scene without a second thought.

Unique rolled her eyes; apparently embarrassed at the memory. "At first all I could do was stare at Sebastian and the dress he was holding-with my mouth hanging open. He had caught me completely off guard, which was his plan from the start of course, and it worked. I was hit with a sudden desire, one I had always repressed before-out of fear, and shame. But I forgot all that, because I needed to wear…" Unique smiled, running her hands down her hips, stroking the smooth fabric. "...this dress."

Kurt kept himself still as possible as Unique fussed over getting his jacket to sit just right. He still couldn't get over how well the suit fit him, and how natural he felt in it (even when it was the flashiest thing he'd worn so far). "And what _innocent_ remark did my boyfriend say after you'd gotten over your initial shock?"

"You know Sebastian; he just casually went 'I thought you might like to try this on before we hit the textbooks. I think the colour will suit you splendidly.' My own reply, where I shouted back at him, 'Are you serious?' wasn't nearly so serene. But Sebastian just shrugged at me and pretended not to care, saying 'All right then, have it your way.' But then he went over and pulled out a black bob wig-out of nowhere-and with a pouty face said, 'It is kind of a shame though; I really wanted to see how stunning you'd look in these… especially after all trouble I went to making the dress just for you.'"

"I swear he loves giving cliffhangers and much as climaxing," Kurt muttered, shaking his head with affection.

Unique bent down and asked Kurt to slip his foot into the right knee boot before giving her answer. "His ploy worked and next thing I knew, Sebastian ushered me into his bathroom so I could change in private. The only reason I went through with it was because I was so numb with shock-but in a good way-so I put it on, and the wig-and the bra Sebastian had thought to add to give me womanly cleavage, and I didn't even look at myself in the mirror until I was finished."

Kurt saw in Unique's eyes the same joy he had experienced whenever he recalled his own moment of total clarity after he'd put on his first Paradis Bise suit.

"At first… I could hardly believe it was me…" Unique wasn't looking at Kurt or at the laces she was tying on the boots, her eyes were focused off somewhere else, yet she managed to keep working regardless. "But when I took a long good look at myself, I realize I was seeing the real me for the first time. I felt so alive, so free… and so fierce!"

Kurt couldn't help but giggle at that.

"Sebastian knocked on the door, asking if I was okay, and if I planned to come out anytime soon so he could see the 'fashion fruits of his labour' and his honing-in snapped me out of the daze I was in. I shakily walked out of the bathroom and presented myself to him; I never would've dreamed that the first person who saw me in the first dress I had ever put on would just effortlessly say how gorgeous I looked. I knew it wouldn't be that easy all the time, but that first step helped me gain enough courage to accept the woman I knew I was, and it marked the point in my life when I vowed never to be ashamed of it." She tied each of the knots on the lacing of the boots and smiled up at Kurt. "That's why I've always celebrated my birthday on that day, the day when I gave myself the name Unique."

A few months ago, Kurt had gone through a somewhat similar moment of self recognition, and its effects were still with him, quietly guiding him in life, filling him up with confidence and determination. And yet, he had only just scratched the surface of the power wearing fabulous clothing could do for him. He had no idea where that magic would take him next, but for the moment, all he cared about was the fashion show he was about to be in.

Her story done, Unique snapped into action and finished dressing Kurt in the showpiece outfit, though she explained to Kurt that Sebastian had the gloves, cane and ring, which he would hand over upon their return.

Kurt absentmindedly fingered his ring (he planned to give it Sebastian for safe keeping once he put the gloves on) as he followed Unique out of the dressing room. He had managed not to look at himself so far, but the temptation to was still there, and proving rather difficult to resist.

The room suddenly went silent the minute Kurt walked back into the room; he heard the quiet gasps of the other contestants and tried to ignore their whispering comments. Funnily enough, the people whose reactions Kurt was dying to see hadn't noticed his arrival yet.

But before Kurt could tease them about it, Sugar caught sight of him, shooting up from her chair and bringing her hands up in front of her face. "Angel," she breathed; her eyes welled with tears, and her normal boisterous voice was nowhere to be found. "You look…" Sugar turned to Puck, whose eyes were equally wide and full of awe. "You're so beautiful! You look amazing," she exclaimed once she had finally found her voice again.

"Seriously Kurt, I never thought anyone could pull off Seb's hell-crazed design, but you sure have," Puck said.

"Isn't it incredible, I can hardly believe it myself even when he's right here in front of us!" Unique added with a wink.

The only one who hadn't spoken yet was Sebastian, who was standing directly in front of Kurt a few steps away. His gaze pulled Kurt's attention away from the others and set his heart a flutter the moment their eyes met. It was kind of fitting that Kurt would have butterflies in his stomach to match the ones on the suit.

_'Don't cry; you can't cry until we've won first place,'_ Kurt told himself.

All it would take was a single word of sentiment and Kurt would be rendered into an emotional mess of tears. Except Sebastian didn't say a word, he just smiled at Kurt with so much love and adoration, there was no need for his normal flirtatious praise. Kurt's cheeks dimpled as he smiled back, feeling humbled, grateful and above all: worshiped.

Sebastian held his hand out to Kurt; it was shaking. "My liege." His soft and alluring voice was liquid charm, and Kurt was powerless against it.

Kurt stepped forward, managing to walk in the boots with impressive grace as he bridged the gap between them.

"May I do the honours?" Sebastian asked.

At first Kurt wasn't sure what his boyfriend was up to, until he heard Unique cough and he glanced at her in time to see her mouth 'the gloves.' "Oh," he said with a cute smile. "Yes, the honour is all yours, Sebastian."

Much to Kurt's relief, Sebastian didn't get down on his knee to offer the gloves to Kurt; as much as he loved his boyfriend's knack for romantic gestures, he wasn't emotionally stable enough to keep hold of his composure if such a scenario were to happen.

Kurt bit his bottom lip when Sebastian, who was still safely upright, slipped the show ring onto his finger. Whatever the results, Kurt refused to let Sebastian down, he was going to walk so proudly and with such kingly grace, that everyone in the audience would envy his confidence.

When his boyfriend rose back up, Kurt reached out to claim Sebastian's hand, as if the shared contact would strengthen him somehow.

"It's nearly show time; is there anything you need to do before we head off?" Sebastian asked.

Kurt shook his head; thank goodness he'd taken Sugar's advice and gone to the bathroom before they'd met up with the others here. Adrenaline pumped in his veins as Sebastian led him by the hand down the hallway. He barely heard the words of encouragement and well wishes Sebastian received as they went; he was in complete tunnel vision mode by this point. So was Sebastian, whose eyes never left the view of the stage just beyond the curtain backstage as they waited for Kurt's turn.

The closer it got to Kurt's turn, the tighter Sebastian's grip on his hand became.

_'Holy fuck, he's nervous,'_ Kurt realized, hiding his surprise, because the discovery wasn't that shocking of course. Despite how he liked to mask his true feelings behind his emotional walls, Sebastian wasn't impervious to emotions. He had the same fears, and insecurities just as everyone else did; he was just better at hiding them. But not at this moment, or at least, not from Kurt's watchful eye.

Sebastian, who looked simply stunning in his tailor fit royal blue three piece suit, was unable to keep his chest from heaving up and down. Kurt wanted to gather him up into his arms, but he knew better.

For longest time, Kurt had always pushed himself for the sake of others, rather than himself. That had all changed once he'd met Sebastian. Suddenly Kurt wanted to be a stronger person for his own personal benefit. Falling in love with Sebastian had slowly shown him that it was okay to want to be strong for someone else again, as long as they person cared for him in turn. And Sebastian did, more than he could have ever hoped.

His time had was almost upon them, there were mere minutes before his moment to shine would at long last be upon them.

Kurt gave Sebastian's hand one final squeeze. "Don't worry, leave it to me."

Sebastian smiled at him, but said nothing; Kurt saw his lips quivering from the strain he must be under and decided not to press him for a response. Instead he just flashed his boyfriend his most impressive 'bitch face' as Sebastian so affectionately called it, before turning to face the stage before them.

Kurt counted the remaining seconds in his head and just as he stepped forward, he said, "Just you watch Sebastian, I'm am going to bring every single person in the audience…" Kurt grinned to himself; he knew exactly what to say. "… to paradise"

_

The bright lights of the stage made it nearly impossible for Kurt to see out into the audience, and the music was blaring so loud, he couldn't hear a thing besides his fast beating heart.

But none of that mattered, Kurt saw the runway in front of him, and set off, walking one step at a time as he descended upon the unsuspecting show attendees. The music made it easier for Kurt to keep in time with the beat as he walked; his right arm was outstretched to display the ornate cane Sebastian had so beautifully crafted.

The beads of the suit caught the light, the reflections dancing along the floor. While the lace that fell from the sleeves and jacket trailed along the floor. Kurt didn't so much as trip, ever the pro, it was as if he were a prince walking down the aisle to meet his waiting groom.

But Kurt wasn't just a mere crown prince: he was a king. A ruler who held his head so high, no one could reach his level of superiority. As Kurt strutted down the runway, he thought of all the words his friends had used to describe him; beautiful, stunning, angelic, adorable, fabulous, and those were just the first few that came to mind. He was all of these things, and so much more, but the thing that stood out most to Kurt now, was how he was the model Sebastian had chosen, the one he had envisioned before they had met.

He was their choice, their champion, the one who could show the world the beauty that they had created together.

Kurt's life began to flash before him, and the first eighteen years of it virtually flew by, proving how little of it mattered to him. But when it reached the point where Kurt had been called out by some weird punk with a mowhawk, the flow of memories changed to a crawl.

Recalling these happy memories helped Kurt hold onto his royal persona, and it couldn't have come at a better moment too. Kurt had reached the end of the long runway, and needed to make an abrupt turn. Fear tried to force its way in; this had been when he'd nearly screwed up before, all it would take was one wrong step and it would be over.

_'That's not going to happen, you've got this,'_ his inner voice assured him.

No more fear, no more doubt. Kurt, in a spur of the moment decision, placed his cane on the floor just as he turned on his heels. He swung around with such precision it was as if the move had been planned all along.

Cheers erupted over the sound of the music, but Kurt didn't react, he held his otherworldly grace as he began to march his way back to the stage.

_'Sebastian's waiting for me on the other side of the curtain,'_ Kurt thought.

He was nearly there, just a few more feet and the job he had been chosen for would be fulfilled. Kurt thought he would have felt more sad, but he was filled with far too much joy.

And there he was, Kurt's handsome consort, dressed like some high born lord in his royal blue suit with silver embroidery, and looking handsome beyond words. His beaming face was bursting with pride, and yet he was staying perfectly still, which was typical Sebastian. The high Kurt had been coming down from now that the end of the line was almost upon him, spiked back up after Sebastian smiled at him and held out his arms.

It took everything Kurt had in him not to abandon his job and rush into his loving embrace.

When Kurt finally cleared the stage area and was out of the audience's line of vision, Kurt practically launched himself at his boyfriend, using the added height of his platform boots to really send him flying. Sebastian was ready for him, sweeping Kurt into his arms and hugging his shoulders tightly as they came together.

There was absolutely no way Kurt could have stopped himself from crying, so he didn't even try to. He just let his emotions out and sobbed happily as he hugged his boyfriend back.

Sebastian pressed his face against Kurt's tear dampened cheeks. "Thank you," Sebastian breathed; his normally sure sounding voice was shaky and wild. "This is the best feeling ever!" He let out a cheering cry, freeing his right hand so he could pump his fist triumphantly into the air.

Kurt was now laughing and crying at the same time from his boyfriend's exuberant antics. The show was far from over, but like the last time during the rehearsal, neither cared all that much. His heart felt so full of love he felt as if it were about to burst!

"I love you," Kurt said, cupping Sebastian's face with his hand.

Sebastian's first response was to kiss Kurt so deeply that he almost forgot how to breathe when it was over. Who would have thought that Kurt would be overcome with so much emotion that he would forgo his usual sense of decorum and engage in public displays of affection like this! It helped that no one was paying any attention to them right now.

Kurt was too thrilled, felt too boisterous, and his heart too full of happiness to suggest that he and Sebastian should head somewhere else though.

"I've never loved you more than I do right now, Kurt." Sebastian let out a loud laugh. "Wait, no, that's a lie; I've loved you this much plenty of times, but it's for sure going in my top ten list!"

"It is a pretty momentous moment for us," Kurt agreed, not caring if he wasn't being too creative with his choice of words.

"Momentous doesn't even begin to describe it, babe," Sebastian chuckled. "It's more like…"and then he decided not to bother with words at all, sharing a passionate kiss that wiped all manner of thought from Kurt's brain.

If Kurt weren't wearing such high platform boots, he imagined that Sebastian would had lifted him right off the ground. Instead he just went up on tiptoe (which was hilarious to think about-but that could wait) to tip the scales and tower (just barely) over his boyfriend again.

_'I hope I never forget this moment for as long as I live,'_ Kurt thought as they continued to kiss one another. It felt too pretentious of him to have gone with 'as long as we're together' since it was still early days yet. But no matter what happened to them, and whether or not they stayed together for a few more months, or for years to come, or for the rest of their lives, Kurt would always remember Sebastian, and how much he loved him in this wondrous moment.

Sebastian's arms were tight around Kurt's waist, his lips demanding and yet soft and gentle; Kurt couldn't bring himself to stop, he wanted to keep kissing his boyfriend like this forever.

But soon their tender exchange-which had grown racier with each new minute-was interrupted when Unique, Sugar and Puck burst onto the scene, shouting with excitement that caused the couple to tear apart just in time to receive their tackling hugs.

Kurt found himself crushed in the middle of a big group hug, and he did his best to just take it all in stride and enjoy it (before he passed out from lack of air).

"Mind the suit! It needs to survive long enough for the contest results!" Sebastian yelled out in protest as he pried the group off of his smothered boyfriend.

As soon as Kurt was free, he thanked his boyfriend, assuring him that he was all right. Sebastian's cheery mood came backback stronger than ever-and he wasn't the only one. Everyone was practically vibrating with excitement, orin Sugar's case, literally.

Sugar's purple stained hands were clenched tightly together at her sides as she resisted the urge to pounce on Kurt again. She looked so adorable Kurt couldn't help but come over to hug her first, and she squealed with delight from the contact.

"Angel, you were so amazing! The crowd loved you!" Sugar babbled as she cried new tears of joy.

Just the sight of her was enough to set Kurt off again, and he tried to distract himself by looking at the others. The one who stood out the most was surprisingly Puck, who Kurt had never seen look so full of life before. His lit up eyes, fiery movements and beaming smile put his girlfriend to shame, and by so much that Kurt could barely believe it.

"First place is fucking ours, I just know it!" Puck cheered at the top of his lungs, which caused everyone to burst out laughing-and some of the show staff to tell him to keep it down.

Unique came over and placed her hand on Kurt's shoulder and bopped him affectionately on the nose. "You sure did us proud Angel, just like I knew you would."

Sebastian scoffed. "Please, that doesn't even begin to describe how well our Kurt did, but doing so would take us all night, and who has the time for that."

The mention of time reminded Kurt of the question he'd meant to ask earlier that day but hadn't gotten around to. "How long will it be until we'll hear who the winners are?" Kurt didn't even know how the results would be given. Were they all suppose to go on stage and stand up in front of the entire room as the placings were called? God he hoped not! Just the idea of being so out of the open filled him with an overwhelming sense of dread. He didn't want to consider it, but what if they lost? Kurt didn't want to fall apart in front of so many people.

And if they did win (which they were going to), Kurt didn't want to deny himself a celebratory kiss with Sebastian either!

"There's an hour intermission for the audience's votes to be tallied," Sebastian began. Apparently Kurt's brooding pout told Sebastian what was going through his boyfriend's head without him needing to voice any of it, because he threw his hands up in the air next. "Hey, don't look at me like that, I don't have any control over it."

Kurt sighed and kissed Sebastian on the cheek as an apology.

"The top three winners will be announced on stage, and the other results will posted right afterwards," Unique explained.

A better scenario for sure, but that still didn't mean Kurt was anymore eager to face it. He hugged his arms tightly around his body; the seemingly limitless energy he'd felt out on stage was leaving him at an alarming rate. _'Why hadn't I thought about this sooner?'_ The answer was so obvious though, it was because he'd been so focused on the show itself that he'd forgotten all about what would happen afterwards.

"You don't have to go with if us if you don't want to, Kurt. Your job is essentially over, at least for today," Sebastian said without Kurt needing to admit his reluctance, which was so like him.

"It's not that I don't want to go, because I do… I just… don't think I have the heart to…" Kurt admitted; he felt horrible for acting as if they had already lost, when it was just as likely (more than that actually) that they would come out victorious. Would Kurt be able to forgive himself if he missed hearing their name be called when the first place winners were announced? Or better yet, how in the world had Kurt made both outcomes negative ones?

He let the others lead him out of the backstage and back to the same classroom where they had originally met earlier that day. Kurt's shaky legs brought him to the nearest chair and he slumped down in it, happy to give his aching feet a rest.

"I don't think I'll be wearing platforms on a regular basis anytime soon," Kurt grumbled as he began unzipping the boots.

Sebastian rolled his eyes at Kurt, but knelt down in front of him to help take them off.

Once his feet were free Kurt let out a deep sigh and voiced his thanks to Sebastian, who winked in reply before sitting down beside him. Kurt didn't know what was worse, the fit of nerves he'd gone through in this very room before the show, or the unease he was feeling now that it was over! Both were excruciating, more so because Kurt felt embarrassed that he wasn't able to cope with either case horribly well.

Sugar, who had gone to the washroom to attempt to get some of the dye off, returned a moment later, her fingers looking a little less purple, but not entirely clean yet. She took one look around, saw how everyone was just silently waiting around and groaned.

She lasted about a minute before breaking the silence of the room. "Oh, I'm way too edgy to just sit around doing nothing! Come on Noah, let's go and see how things are faring." She grabbed his arm, and Puck didn't seem to mind being dragged off of his chair and out of the room.

"I bet I can get an idea how things are going from how the audience is acting. If they have any sense of class, they're probably going on and on about how fabulous our suit-and our dashing model wearing it-was," Unique said, heading towards the door but before she went through it she turned and asked, "Is it safe enough to leave you two unchaperoned?"

"Worried you'll miss a good show, Unique?" teased Sebastian, whose body was lax and his expression carefree. "Kurt and I aren't going to have sex while you're gone, so you can head off and scope things out all you want."

Kurt was too busy seeing to his own emotional state to add his own assurances; his breathing was becoming increasingly heavy, and he knew what that meant. As a safety precaution, Kurt leaned over in his chair and lowered his head as he went through his breathing exercises.

"Text me when it's ten minutes before the results are announced, I'll join you then," Sebastian requested, and Unique must have nodded in reply because she didn't say anything back, and neither did Sebastian.

At first Sebastian didn't bother to engage Kurt in any sort of conversation, he just shifted closer to him and took his hand. They laced their fingers together and Kurt noticed that Sebastian was wearing his butterfly ring on his right hand.

"Nobody but you could have sold my vision up on that stage, Kurt; I felt so connected to you at that moment." Sebastian squeezed Kurt's hand, running his thumb along the back of it lovingly. "So don't you dare blame yourself if we lose, because meeting you is worth so much more to me than winning first place."

Kurt glanced up at Sebastian. "I know you mean what you're saying, and I feel the same way, but I know how badly you want to win too, Sebastian. I saw it in your eyes when we were backstage. I'm so happy we met, and having you in my life is such a gift… but… you're allowed to want this… it won't break me if you allow yourself to admit it."

Sebastian looked away from Kurt and frowned. "I can't…"

"Yes you can-"

"No, Kurt, I can't. I can't let my walls down like that. Because if we end up placing low, even after all that we've been through, all the work I've put into this suit…" Sebastian brushed Kurt's shoulder to trace his fingers along the beaded design there. "I won't be able to... " He sighed heavily. "I can't even say it."

"Then don't. Let's just sit here for a while and wait it out together," Kurt said, smiling at him softly.

Sebastian had recovered enough to head off to join the others when the results were about to be given, but not Kurt. He still couldn't face it, so he'd stayed behind, and anxiously paced back in forth in the empty classroom. Kurt had taken the jacket off to cool himself down a bit, and he hadn't bothered to put on a pair of shoes yet.

Sock footed and nervous beyond belief, Kurt's stomach was tied up in a tight knot. When he got tired of pacing, Kurt stood in one spot with his eyes glued to the clock on his phone, watching the seconds tick away-at far too slow a pace for his liking. _'What's keeping them?'_ By Kurt's judgement, the results should have been given by now, so why hadn't anyone rushed back to tell him about it? Maybe it was a good sign, maybe they were being called up to the stage to accept their victorious win.

"I can't take this anymore!" Kurt had reached his limit and was just about to make a mad dash out the door when Sebastian stepped through it. "Sebastian! Oh, my god, finally!"

Any hope that Sebastian's cool demeanor was some ploy to surprise Kurt with the winning results were crushed when he looked into his boyfriend's eyes. They were dull and haunted, and everything, from his tight body language, to his slight grin-the same one of indifference he had whenever his walls were up-told Kurt that he did not have good news. The fact that no one else had come with him was another clue to support this theory as well.

"What happened? Did we win first place?" Kurt asked anyway, just in case he was wrong, and boy, did he want to be!

But unfortunately, Sebastian's didn't face didn't break into a mischievous grin and go 'Just kidding, of course we did, babe. Shame on you for doubting us.' Instead he silently walked towards Kurt, stopped right in front of them, and shook his head.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Notes:** There is a chance that the next chapter could be a bit late. My beta and I will do our best to have it posted on Jan 13th for the three week update. But in case the chapter doesn't get posted then, please go to my tumblr (klaineitupanotch) for updates on when it will be posted.

Chapter 16

Right from the start, Kurt had told himself he wouldn't cry until the show was over, and oh how he did, they just weren't the tears of joy he had hoped for. As soon as Sebastian had come in and shook his head at Kurt, the water works had begun, and they hadn't stopped so far (at least not completely), not even when the group relocated to the studio for their 'celebratory' dinner.

What made things worse was that Kurt was the only one still sobbing; Sugar had bawled her eyes out at first, and Unique cried a bit too, but both ladies were back to their usual cheery selves again. Puck had just gotten angry, but he'd stopped muttering and swearing to under his breath.

Sebastian hadn't shed a single tear, nor become the least bit emotional over their crushing loss. In fact, if Kurt didn't know any better, he would have sworn they'd won first place, with the way his boyfriend was acting. Kurt wasn't sure whether Sebastian's calm state of mind was just a facade to hide his inner disappointment either. To all appearances Sebastian was in quite an agreeable mood; he had his usual smug grin on, he joked with the gang, and he even flirted with Kurt at any given chance. Which made absolutely no sense! How could they be okay when Kurt felt as if his heart had shattered into a million pieces?

Kurt watched his friends put the finishing touches on the the festivities; Sebastian had brought his best bottle of wine, Unique had baked a cake and Puck and Sugar had bought enough snacks to feed an army.

"Shall I do the honours and pop the cork?" Sebastian asked when they seemed to be finished and ready to party.

Sugar immediately nodded. "Go for it, the last time you let Puck do it and he nearly gave me a black eye!"

"Oh, yeah that's right, that was priceless," Sebastian replied, chuckling at Puck, who just rolled his eyes at them.

If Kurt weren't feeling so heartsick, he would have seen their high spirits as something to admire and not to resent. But instead of rising above his own sadness and inability to cope, all Kurt could do in the end was stare at them in utter disbelief.

"What is wrong with all of you?" Kurt blurted out when he couldn't take their merriment any longer. "Why are you acting so happy when we lost?" He thrust himself dramatically onto the chaise lounge and pulled another tissue from the box he'd been holding onto. "I don't even know what we're supposed to be celebrating," Kurt added, loudly blowing his nose.

Sebastian eyed his sullen boyfriend in what appeared to be genuine confusion. "Why, the success of the show of course," he answered matter-of-factly.

"But we lost!" Kurt shot up from the lounge; he knew it was childish of him to get angry, but anything was better than feeling so sad. "This isn't time for cake, this is time to for us to grieve together and try to recover from such a horrible loss."

Puck grabbed a handful of chips and stuffed them into his mouth. "There's nothing we can do about it; what's done is done. Sure it sucks, but there's no use crying over it."

"Not that there's anything wrong with letting yourself cry, because I sure did, but Noah-in his own tactless way-still has it right. When we didn't end up winning first place, I was as heartbroken as you are Angel, but after a while, I just thought, 'I'm Sugar Motta, and I am not going to let this keep me down.'" Sugar smiled at Kurt and came over to give him a consoling hug, and Kurt discovered he needed the contact too badly to turn away from it.

Unique, who had begun cutting the cake into perfectly even slices, said, "And technically speaking, we didn't lose; we got second place-which is pretty impressive-_and_, we only lost first place by five points."

"I dunno how that happened! Our suit was way better than the stupid dress that won!" Puck exclaimed with an angry scowl; so he wasn't completely over his anger after all then.

Before Kurt could add his own thoughts to the pool, Sebastian suddenly popped the cork on the wine bottle and pulled everyone's attention to him-as he'd no doubt intended.

"I would have thought it was obvious," Sebastian announced in a lyrical voice, and when no one bothered to guess the answer, he went on to add, "The audience is stupid."

Kurt rolled his eyes; if only they were alone, then he might be able to pry the truth out his boyfriend, but such an interrogation would have to wait. Maybe when they'd all had some time to recover, and the loss wasn't so fresh, a real heart to heart-where Sebastian would be completely honest with him-could take place.

But since there was no chance of that happening right at this second, Kurt decided not to challenge his friends' optimism and hope that their positive outlook on life would lift him out of his own depths of despair.

"I guess it would be silly of me to keep being so sad, or the way things could go, I won't get any sleep tonight," Kurt said finally.

"Oh, I'm not letting you get so much as a wink of sleep tonight Kurt in any case, but I good for you, I knew you could rise to the occasion," praised Sebastian, as he handed Kurt the first glass of wine as a peace offering.

Yes that was right, there was the matter of finally getting to spend an entire night having hot passionate sex with his boyfriend to look forward to still. With that little pick-me-up fully planted in his brain, and already making his mind run wild with exciting ideas, Kurt was finally able to let their loss go.

Kurt managed to dry his eyes and nibble at the plates of goodies in front of him, and even enjoy a sip or two of fine wine. Unique was right, winning second place, when Sebastian was only a freshman, was still an impressive feat. He needed to stop acting as if they were in the bottom numbers.

Sebastian, who was ever the leader, raised his wine glass. "May I propose a toast?" Once all eyes were on him he continued, "To us: we may not have won first place, but we still made something we can be proud of, and that, I think you all will agree, is far better than any sort of physical prize we could have received." Sebastian looked directly at Kurt, grinning at him in a way that said 'come on babe, you're allowed to be happy' until Kurt cracked a small smile.

Taking his boyfriend's words straight to the heart, Kurt raised his glass along with the others to toast to their success.

"I still can't believe we lost first place by five measly points! Five!" Kurt grumbled, for what felt like the hundredth time since he and Sebastian had left the studio.

Kurt had managed to lift his dark spirits enough to enjoy himself during the party, as best as Sebastian could tell anyway. Every now and then Sebastian had caught Kurt sighing, or saw a flash of sadness appear on his face, but none of these lapses lasted for very long. After a time, Kurt's disappointment had begun to change into annoyance, and then, once they were alone in Sebastian's convertible, had accelerated all the way to visibly seething with anger. And even though they had finally made it to Sebastian's apartment, Kurt was showing no sign of settling down.

Sebastian was fine to let his boyfriend diffuse his boiling temper, just as long as he wasn't the cause, which he obviously was not. So he'd let Kurt vent his frustrations all he liked, first with words and then-if he played his cards right-by more physical means. Sebastian was already a fan of hot angry sex, and hot angry sex with Kurt, who took snarky to a new level, should nothing short of fucking incredible.

If Kurt's anger lasted long enough for them to reach that point that is, and if not, there would plenty of other chances to partake. Right now Sebastian just wanted to keep a close eye on Kurt and make sure whatever state he was in would eventually lead to some kind of sex.

"If I had known we'd end up cutting it so close, I could have easily blackmailed six people into voting for us," Sebastian teased; humour was always a good way to test Kurt's mood. If he just rolled his eyes, then all was not lost, just as long as his brows weren't too furrowed.

Kurt did roll his eyes as expected, but his almost playful snort of derision made Sebastian feel hopeful."Too late now."

Yes, this was exactly the sort of response Sebastian wanted from Kurt, now he just needed to steer their conversation in the right direction so they could share some sexy banter. Though there was still a lot of work to do; his boyfriend wasn't giving him his usual sultry come hither look yet. Such a challenge was exactly the sort of distraction Sebastian needed right now. It amused him that he used to think that being chained in a committed relationship would mean he wouldn't get to enjoy the thrill of the chase anymore.

"And did you see the dress that won? I guess all it takes to win over the audience is to make a frilly wedding dress with all the traditional trimmings! Sure it was pretty and all, and the craftsmanship was impressive, but your suit was still so much better, Sebastian, by leaps and bounds!" Kurt loudly rambled as he paced back and forth in front of Sebastian.

The dress Kurt had begrudgingly referred to was a striking silver white with just the hint of periwinkle blue. Sebastian had to admit that the garment was all that Kurt claimed, but what Sebastian didn't like about it was how conventional it was; it was exactly the sort of outfit one would expect to be made for a fashion show. It lacked true originality, but it had been the big crowd pleaser because the audience was too closed-minded to appreciate his own vision. He'd known going in that creating an outfit that pushed at gender boundaries would cause a stir, he had just gambled that it would be positive enough to land first place.

Sebastian didn't feel like admitting any of this to Kurt, who seemed too wrapped up in his own anger to ask him anyway (for which he was glad for).

"Aren't you a little too biased to make that call, Kurt? You are dating me after all," Sebastian pointed out, using humour this time to lighten the mood.

Kurt smiled weakly back at him as he took a seat on the edge of Sebastian's bed. "Maybe, but I can't help it; it's not like I can just turn off my affection for you at will."

"I'm not suggesting you should." Sebastian had spent years mastering the art of appearing able to shut off his own emotions; in truth, all he had mastered was hiding them. It had always been easier to just pretend he didn't give a shit and maintain a smug air of superiority, until Kurt had come along and claimed his heart. Now Sebastian was finding it difficult to keep pushing things deep down inside himself so he could keep ignoring them.

That still didn't mean Sebastian wanted to open up to his boyfriend right this second though. He knew exactly what he wanted, as did his body, and both were getting impatient. Now if only Sebastian could get Kurt on board, then things could really take off. Luckily for them, Sebastian knew exactly how to go about it: it was time to get his flirt on.

"I'm really enjoying your look today," Sebastian started with, because complimenting clothes usually worked in his favour. "It's very sexy-casual." Kurt hadn't bothered to change into anything for the party, so he was still was in the outfit he'd worn to SAIC. His royal purple v-neck sweater went perfectly with his skinny blue jeans, and even someone who loved layers and accessories as much as Sebastian couldn't find any fault to point out. Sebastian's favourite part of the ensemble was how Kurt's deliciously kissable neck was out on display and already enticing him.

"Do you think it's sexy just because there's less to take off?" Kurt asked with a playful smirk.

Sebastian laughed, "That's one reason, but with an ass like yours, you'd pretty much look sexy wearing anything, babe."

"I'm tempted to put your theory to the test..." Kurt must have seen the gleam in his boyfriend's eyes, because he quickly added, "But not tonight and not unless I'm the one calling the shots!"

If it were any other night, Sebastian would have loved nothing better than to put Kurt in horrid clothes (they would have to go shopping though, since everything he owned was top notch), but not only were most of the stores already closed, Sebastian had better plans in mind, and none of them involved leaving his apartment.

"Another time then, when we have more of it on our hands." Sebastian grinned: he hadn't even meant that to sound dirty and yet somehow it did. He must be more hard up that he'd originally thought; oh well, there was an easy fix for that at least.

_'Enough talking; it's time to get it done, Smythe,'_ his inner voice complained.

Kurt let out a throaty laugh, and then (and to his boyfriend's delight), scanned his eyes up and down Sebastian's body. There was no mistaking the hunger in Kurt's gaze, so Sebastian decided to put on a bit of a show. In an instant Sebastian straightened his body, flexing his arms as he strutted right up to Kurt.

"You're not looking so bad yourself." Kurt grinned at him, stepping forward so he could touch Sebastian's shoulders. He brought his hands up to fuss with the open collar of Sebastian's white dress shirt. "I think I'm beginning to understand why you're so into vests on men."

"It's a waistcoat," Sebastian corrected, grinning at him.

Kurt cocked his head to the side. "There's a difference?"

It was so refreshing to finally have someone in his life who generally appreciated Sebastian's lessons in fashion. Sebastian grinned at Kurt; this would be a particularly fun lesson too, and would hopefully lead to some playful banter as well.

"A vest is an informal garment that can be worn without anything underneath it, while a waistcoat is a formal garment that is usually worn over a shirt and necktie." Sebastian's waistcoat was over a white dress shirt, and he had been wearing a tie until recently. And his two layered waistcoat, was most indeed formal, although piecing it with a pair of blue skinny jeans had created a more semi casual effect (which was the look Sebastian had been going for). The outer layer was black and overlapped the silver check under fabric, looking as if it were a completely different vest underneath. Sebastian had made it over the summer and had only worn it for special occasions, but now that he knew how much Kurt liked him in it he had a good reason to break it out more often.

"And I always thought vest was the American wording, and waistcoat the British," Kurt answered in sarcastic and sassy voice.

"There are a few more differences, if you really want to get technical, but most people consider them the same thing." Sebastian's love for waistcoats did not mean he intended to wear his for much longer though, so he began to unbutton it. As soon as Sebastian finished, Kurt took over, pushing his arms aside so he could pull the waistcoat out of his boyfriend's arms and off his body.

Kurt carried the garment over to Sebastian's nearby desk as if it were a cherished treasure and lovingly folded it before putting it down. Such a drawn out act might have annoyed some, but not Sebastian, who found the considerate gesture both endearing and extremely hot. Too many men had learned the hard way that literally tearing the clothes from Sebastian's body in a fit a passion was the worst way to get him in the mood for sex. He still mourned the designer blazer jacket he'd lost to some rough-handed club DJ he'd seduced two years ago, and he'd vowed then and there that it would never happen again!

"Well whatever you want to call it, it suits you, Sebastian. I would love a photo of you wearing it…" Kurt abandoned the now folded waistcoat and sauntered his way back to Sebastian, fluttering his eyelashes at him provocatively. "...only later…" As he closed in on Sebastian's face, he quickly added, "Much, much later," in his sensual lower register that Sebastian oh so adored, and then to seal the deal, he kissed him.

It was the move Sebastian had been waiting for, and now that it had finally happened, patience was no longer a virtue.

"Let's get this sweater off of you," Sebastian said, grabbing the bottom of it. Kurt stopped kissing Sebastian's neck so his boyfriend could pull the article of clothing up and over his head.

"Your turn, hotshot," Kurt urged when he was done.

Sebastian really needed to ask Kurt to think of a better pet name, but that would have to wait. The only thing he wanted to do right now was take off his dress shirt, and once it was off he handed it to Kurt, who smirked but put it over with his boyfriend's waistcoat. They both took off their undershirts at the same time and let them fall to the floor without a second thought. Shirtless at long last, Sebastian lunged at Kurt with a burning hunger, and his boyfriend was ready for him.

Kurt met him head on, grabbed his face and kissed him hard on the mouth, leaving nothing to the imagination when it came to his intentions.

Fuck he needed this! Sebastian's whole body yearned for the pleasure he always felt when he was with Kurt, kissing him, holding him close; he couldn't get enough of it. He loved how everything else in his life faded away when it was just the two of them. Sebastian kissed Kurt as if he would forget how to breathe if he were to stop, hoping it would chase away the dark emotions building up inside of him. He trusted Kurt, without question, but he wasn't ready to admit the things he had spent the last year trying so desperately to keep on denying.

"I've been looking forward to this all day," Kurt murmured in between their heavy kissing.

"You and me both, babe," Sebastian replied. _'More than you even know.'_

Sebastian wasn't exactly sure how he and Kurt had made their way to the foot of the bed, but he didn't need to. Not when Kurt was doing wonders with his mouth, passionately kissing him on the neck and then the shoulders. His hands ran up and down the Sebastian's chest in teasing strokes; his own arms were tightly grasping the sides of Kurt's hips. Locked together, the couple spent an enjoyable spell making out together, savouring the experience.

"Sebastian," Kurt growled, his throat rumbling as he tugged and grasped at Sebastian, as if they could wedge themselves even closer together somehow.

"Why aren't we on the bed yet?" demanded Sebastian, who arched his eyes to it to empathize. Kurt smirked at him, in the flirtatious type of way that only being in a mutually loving relationship could bring. "I'm just saying it's right there and begging for us to use to our advantage…" Sebastian paused for a moment to wipe the grin off of Kurt's face by kissing him. "Unless you were hoping to do it someplace else, which I'm not against… just, the clock's ticking here, Kurt, and I'd really like to move this along, while we're still young and all."

"Are you done?" Kurt asked, chuckling as he led Sebastian by the hand around the bed, though the trip was a short one. Kurt dropped Sebastian's hand once they were on the bed together and instead pushed Sebastian's shoulders, sending him flying face up onto the mattress.

Sebastian was now was the one laughing as Kurt, who was grinning proudly, crawled forward until he was hovering over his delighted boyfriend. "Fucking hell Kurt, who knew you would be such an animal in bed." Though technically speaking, Kurt's antics were more adorable than animalistic, but that could change in an instant and Sebastian was confident that it would.

"If anyone did, it would have been you Sebastian, and knowing you, I bet you had your suspicions when we first met." Kurt replied, and he apparently took his boyfriend's silence as a yes and left the matter at that.

Within a few more minutes of kissing Sebastian could feel Kurt's hard on pressing against him, and that (as well as his own growing erection) told him that it was time to to forgo their confining tight fit jeans.

"Sebastian," Kurt panted between kisses; his hair was all astray and yet that only made him look hotter!

"You're too gorgeous for your own good," Sebastian gasped, circling his arms around Kurt's waist so he could pulled his body closer.

Kurt smirked. "Says the man who gets to have sex with such dazzling beauty."

"Not often enough for my liking," Sebastian grumbled back, giving Kurt's ass a playful slap that distracted his boyfriend enough to slip out from under him. One look Kurt's way then told Sebastian that he had some damage control to take care of; Kurt was scowling with that he hoped was fake (or at least mild) annoyance. "Cheer up babe, I was just gonna go get the lube and condoms." Sebastian kissed Kurt's cheek and was happy to see him crack a giddy smile. "I'll be back and ready to get you out of your skinny jeans before you know it."

"Good," Kurt remarked as Sebastian sprung off the bed to get said supplies.

True to his word, Sebastian swiftly returned to the bed, and Kurt showed his impatience by raising up enough to grab onto him and pull him back down. The condom and lube fell on the bed beside them, but thankfully didn't fall onto the floor. Sebastian's busy hands didn't go for straight to Kurt's jeans though, but first saw to getting his boyfriend all riled up and ready to fuck.

Some rough kissing followed, complete with tongue and Kurt's moans of pleasure were already making Sebastian crazy horny!

"As much as I love that fact that we're both wearing blue jeans, it's time that they came off…" A dirty follow up comment entered Sebastian's mind and he grinned at Kurt. "... so we can get each other off."

Kurt snorted. "Not your best work; it's a good thing you're so-" Instead of finishing his sentence, Kurt went silent for some reason.

At first Sebastian thought he was doing some sort of dramatic pause (if so, it was ill timed), but he didn't, he just narrowed his eyes. "What are you-"

"Shh!" Kurt snapped, cutting Sebastian off. "Don't you hear that?"

Sebastian was just about to ask what the hell he was talking about, when he heard what his boyfriend was referring to. "Fuck. My. Life." He didn't want to believe it, or even acknowledge the fact that someone was ringing his doorbell over and over, in such an obnoxious way that there was only one person it could be.

"I'm gonna kill her," Sebastian muttered with pure, angered venom. Kurt grabbed onto Sebastian's arms to hold him in place. "Okay maybe I won't go that far, not because she doesn't deserve it, but because I'm not about to go to jail for her murder." That still didn't mean that Sebastian was going to show any sort of mercy to his meddling mom with her lack of boundaries.

He rose from the bed and swore under his breath; Kurt was close on his heels and watching him with wary eyes.

"Remind me to change the locks and to get a chain in the immediate future," Sebastian requested as he headed for the door.

"You're going like that?" Kurt asked.

Sebastian nodded. "I want it to be painfully aware that she's cockblocking her son." His bare upper frame which was decorated with hickies and love marks, combined with his tussled hair and flushed lips should be enough to get the message across. "You can go back to the bed, babe." He turned his sights to his bedroom door and walked through it. "This won't take long." He closed the door behind himself, to save Kurt the embarrassment of having Terri see him if she managed to force her way inside.

The ringing hadn't stopped for a second, and Sebastian was livid, he couldn't believe Terri would stoop so low. _'Serves me right for giving her that much credit I suppose,'_ he thought angrily, storming over to his front door. No more Mr. nice son, it was time to give his mom one hell of a reality check. He was going to open the door, tell her to fuck off-possibly add some blunt comment about how he and Kurt were busy-and then to top it all off, he would cooly warn her that if she didn't go, that would be it it, she would lose him forever and never see him again.

Sebastian knew better to hope that such a threat could actually happen, but knowing his mother's dramatic tendencies, it should be enough to make her back off for a couple of days.

"Will you shut the fuck up!" Sebastian yelled through the door, though he doubted Terri could hear it over all the ringing she was doing. So he just opened it up, hoping to catch her off guard, except Sebastian was the one who was shocked into silence.

It wasn't his mom it at all, but a stunningly beautiful latino woman with long black hair, striking brown eyes and whose perfectly proportioned body was dressed in a tight black cocktail dress.

"Hey there Smythe, miss me?" the woman asked, as if she were a expected guest and not someone who had just spent the last minutes relentlessly ringing Sebastian's doorbell.

Sebastian blinked at her. "Santana?" This didn't make any sense, what in the world was she doing here? He was so stunned to find her there that his usual snarky nature was nowhere to be found.

During his mental lapse, Santana gave him a good look over and grinned at him devilishly. "I should have known you'd have a guy over; you haven't changed one bit, Sebastian."

The reminder that Santana had interrupted him and Kurt was enough to snap Sebastian out of his confused daze. In an instant, Sebastian wiped the surprise from his face and eyed her with cold indifference. This did change things, but Sebastian wasn't about to welcome her in with open arms, a fact which she was about learn. "If you knew that then you should have tried calling me first."

"I did, but when you didn't answer-or reply to any of the texts I've sent you all day-I decided to come here and see you in person," Santana replied matter-of-factly.

Years of dealing with Terri and all of her selfish crap like this made it easy for Sebastian not to react to her reply. "I've been busy."

"Too busy to see your old high school chum who came all the way from London just to see you?" Santana's pretty face might have been enough to sway some people, but Sebastian knew better than to trust her considerate friend act.

"Them's the breaks Santana, you should give me a better warning next time before dropping by." Sebastian was about to close the door on her, but she managed to wedge her stiletto heeled foot in it at the last possible second.

Sebastian growled; hadn't he suffered enough tonight? "I am not in the mood, and I have a previous engagement to fulfill. So if it's all right with you, I'd like to get back to him before he starts to wonder what's taking me so long."

"What, that's it? I haul my ass all this way to take you out for an expensive dinner so we can catch up, and this is the thanks I get?"

It was so tempting for Sebastian to unleash his full snarky glory on her and give her the lecture of a life-time, but there was Kurt to consider. "I'll take a raincheck." Santana narrowed his eyes and him and tried to push her way inside his apartment.

Sebastian threw his weight at the door to keep her from slipping in. "How long are you here for?"

"I'm leaving tomorrow afternoon."

"How about breakfast?" Sebastian just hoped it would be enough of a compromise, because if he were to call the cops, she'd probably use her womanly wiles to convince them that Sebastian was the bad guy who needed to be arrested.

Santana smiled at him in triumph. "Let's make it brunch; it's more romantic."

Sebastian let out a loud breath of relief as she pulled back and stepped away from the door. "I'll text you in the morning."

"Nice seeing you Sebby. You can go back to fucking your flavour of the week now." Santana started walking down the hallway, never once looking back and she went.

Sebastian the closed the door, locked it, and sighed a breath of relief. He seriously doubted she would come back tonight; he wished he knew how to disable to doorbell just in case he was wrong, but oh well. He gave the door one final glance before forcing himself to step away and head back to his bedroom.

"I'm back and about to open the door, in case you're listening at it, Kurt." Sebastian didn't hear any shuffled to movements to suggest his boyfriend was on the other side, but Kurt could be quite light on his feet when he wanted.

Kurt opened the door up for Sebastian, who stepped inside without any hesitance.

"I was tempted to, but there was no need; your _guest's_ voice projects even louder than yours does," Kurt replied.

"That was Santana," Sebastian said.

"Yeah, I heard."

"She was not invited."

"I heard that too, which is why my current annoyance is not directed at you."

"I know you're probably wondering why I didn't tell her I was with my boyfriend." Kurt's stern expression softened a little and Sebastian kissed his cheek before continuing. "The reason I didn't tell her was because if I had, she would have demanded details about you, or worse, she would have forced her way into the apartment, and gone right into the bedroom so she could introduce herself to you."

"She sounds like such a delightful person," Kurt said, dramatically rolling his eyes.

"She actually is; most of the time-at least with me. She's a classmate of mine from high school who's currently going to college in London for fashion design."

Sebastian inched towards Kurt, just to see how he would react, and was pleased to discover that he didn't shy away as he reached out to touch his shoulder. "I can tell you all about her if you like… though I gotta admit, I'd much rather tell you later on tonight during some well deserved pillow talk." He was so close to winning Kurt over; what could he add to seal the deal? "Did I mention that Santana's an out and proud lesbian?"

"Okay you're forgiven," Kurt said with a grin, pecking him on the lips. "Not that you really had anything to apologize for." Kurt put his arms around Sebastian's shoulders. "Right?"

"Right." Sebastian replied, kissing him back. _'No more fucking interruptions!'_ Just to be sure, he gave Kurt one final kiss and dropped down on his knees. Before Kurt could say anything about the sudden move, Sebastian undid the top button of his jeans, unzipped his fly and began pulling them off of his hips.

Kurt laughed at Sebastian's eagerness, but was quickly silenced when Sebastian freed his half-erect cock next and took the tip of it into his mouth. "Holy shit!" It took him a few seconds to recover enough to enjoy what his boyfriend was doing to him. "Sebastian, ease up, or I'm going to come in your mouth and then where will we be?"

Sebastian slid Kurt's cock out of his mouth and went back to pulling his jeans off of his legs. "Is that your way of saying you'd like to top?" He had already slipped Kurt's underwear off of his hips and pulled them and his jeans down to the floor, chucking them aside so there would be no risk of tripping on them on their way back to the bed (if they even made it that far).

"I had planned to let you know my intentions soon enough, but that was before you put the jump on me," Kurt muttered, though his disgruntled act wasn't very convincing since he was grinning.

"I would love it if you fucked me babe; I've been thinking about it for hours…" Sebastian aggressively kissed at Kurt's neck to help sway him into accepting. "I feel like I've been sporting a partial ever since I saw you up on the stage. The way that you owned yourself… I gotta tell you, it sent shivers down my spine." He move his lips down to Kurt's collarbone and sucked on his skin, marking him with yet another hickey that he'd have to hide from his parents.

"It was such a rush for me; I loved how empowered I felt," Kurt admitted, biting his bottom lip when Sebastian found the sweet spot on his neck. "But even that doesn't compare to how I feel now when I'm with you like this."

Some small part of Sebastian, the part he usually kept buried deep within him, whispered that Kurt was lying, if not on purpose then to himself as well. But Sebastian pushed these thoughts away, unwilling to let it ruin the mood.

"I better get these pants off then," Sebastian said, stripping himself without any further ado. As he disrobed, Kurt headed over to the bed to tear off a condom from the roll and to get the tube of lube ready for them.

Sebastian joined him there; Kurt had already begun to warm the lube between his fingers and their eyes met briefly in mutual lust before bringing their lips together. Sebastian lay down until his back was flat against the mattress, giving Kurt the perfect position to start fingering him.

"Feels good," Sebastian moaned when Kurt pressed one finger into him and began a steady rhythm. "More," he panted. He knew the importance of preparation, but that didn't make it any easier to wait until Kurt's cock could take over.

Every time with Kurt felt as if he were experiencing a deeper level of intimacy he hadn't dreamed could be possible. The way that Kurt was taking the care to make sure he was stretched enough to enjoy himself meant so much to him, yet all he could focus on what how good he felt as Kurt thrust his fingers in and out of him Right when Sebastian was about to tell Kurt that enough was enough, Kurt's fingers found his prostate. "Oh, no!" He hadn't meant to say something like that, but he'd had no control over his words.

Kurt had already stopped his movements and looked so upset it made Sebastian's heart ache. "What, was I going too fast?"

"Fuck no!" Sebastian replied, chuckling, which only made Kurt frown. "You found my prostate, it felt so good I could have come before you'd even gotten your cock in me, babe."

"Oh," Kurt said cutely, blushing even more. "I was trying to find it, so it's good to know I hit my mark… but you're right… I can always perfect my fingering technique and make you come that way somewhere other time- though possibly tonight still-depending on how long our stamina holds out. But for the moment, all I can think of is how much I want my cock inside you… I really really wanna fuck you, Sebastian." His confession was hardly titillating, but the fact that Kurt was being completely honest about his desires made all the difference.

"By all means, go for it, babe." Sebastian took the the condom out of his boyfriend's hand so he could open and roll it onto Kurt's ready cock. The lube came next, which Kurt handed to Sebastian to apply, and then that was it, they were both prepared, and ready and (and raring) to go.

What position would Kurt want to take him in? Sebastian was basically up for anything, though he did have his own set of favourites. But before Sebastian could suggest any, Kurt saved him the trouble by guiding him by the arms to lie back down on the bed.

"Going with missionary then? Not the most ground breaking choice, but I'm not one to complain, as I have been enjoying the eye contact it brings." Sebastian smirked; he wondering if Kurt realized he couldn't honestly say that about any of the other men he'd been with. "I love the facial expressions you make when you're caught up in the pleasure of the moment."

Kurt just rolled his eyes at his boyfriend's chattiness. "Is that what you think, hmm? Well I guess even the great Sebastian Smythe can be wrong then." His hands were on Sebastian's body in an instant, covering his chest with quick little kisses as he began to move his mouth downwards.

At first Sebastian thought he was going to get him to flip over onto his stomach-either by asking or just doing it on his own-but once again, his boyfriend ended up surprising him. Kurt brought his hands down to Sebastian's knees and slipped them underneath, bracing himself on the bed for leverage as he began to push upwards. Sebastian, who had a sense where Kurt was going with this, arched his back up until the back of his his leg calves were resting on Kurt's shoulders.

"I believe they call this the 'Tuck Knee' position," Kurt said once they were settled nicely together.

"Someone's been googling gay sex positions in their spare time." Sebastian knew better than to tell Kurt how there was more than one name for it.

"You're welcome. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to start fucking you senseless." Kurt had never looked so smug before; it suited him.

Kurt was in the perfect position to take him, and all it took was Sebastian to give him a subtle look that clearly said 'I'm waiting', and spread his leg a little wider just to be perfectly clear. Kurt must have got the message, because he shifted his legs a bit, lined up his cock until it touched the ring of Sebastian's entrance and began to slowly push inside. He grunted as he fought against the tightness he met, filling Sebastian to the hilt.

The wave of pleasure it brought washed over him, making him moan; Kurt's folded arms held the back of Sebastian's knees, holding them in place. Sebastian arched his back a bit until they were in perfect alignment with each other.

"I'm good babe, you can start moving," Sebastian breathed, pulling his legs to fully rest against his chest, hoping his impressive show of flexibility would motivate Kurt to get a move on.

The ploy seemed to work, either that or Kurt had reached his own limit, because he pulled his hips back until just the tip of his cock remained inside. The burning sensation of emptiness was not welcome, but it lasted barely a second before Kurt thrust forward and slammed back into him with just the right amount of force.

"Fuck," Sebastian swore. He couldn't remember the last time he'd done this position with anyone, and when he had, the penetration hadn't been this deep! He would definitely have to try it himself on Kurt, if they survived the experience, because there was only so much pleasure the human body could take. But Sebastian was never one to give up, so he took it, flashes of pain and all, and embraced it, urging Kurt to fuck him harder.

Kurt hiked himself up as far as he could go and held the position for a second; sweat decorated his brow and yet he was completely focused on the task at hand. As much as Sebastian loved to see him trying so hard, it lacked the intimacy they usually shared and had come to enjoy. "Kurt," he breathed to catch his lover's attention; Kurt's blue eyes fell on his and instantly the connection between them was restored.

"I love you so fucking much, Kurt." Their faces were too far apart to kiss, but Sebastian managed to brush the bottom of Kurt's lip with his finger.

"I love you too, enough to endure all the work I'm doing here!"

Sebastian laughed and dropped his arms to his sides just as Kurt thrust into him again.

"I tell you what, the websites never covered how good this would feel!" Kurt was somehow managing to power through the pleasure to go the distance. "I dunno how the guys in the video I watched lasted so long!"

"Strategically placed video cuts," Sebastian grunted. The image of Kurt apprehensively sitting in front of his laptop as he watched a gay porno video with headphones entered his brain without any warning. It was a struggle for him to keep his mind on what really mattered, like how Kurt was currently going full force on him and doing a fucking bang up job of it too. But when his imagination took a dirtier turn and envisioned Kurt jerking off to the video, the winds changed for the better.

Now if only the position allowed him the mobility to make any sort of contribution; he was loving the position, but he still wished he could participate a bit more.

As Kurt lowered himself down again, Sebastian used the moment to slip his legs off of his boyfriend's shoulders, spreading them as wide as they could go. Kurt instantly adapted to the change up and brought his head down to share a thrilling kiss.

Sebastian was finally able to meet Kurt's sharp forward snaps and help them towards release, and not a moment too soon. He felt the familiar rush of heat in his stomach and grabbed onto Kurt's ass as they ground together.

"Oh-my-god," Kurt gasped all in one breath, burying his head in the crook of Sebastian's shoulder and he tried to keep moving despite how he was obviously tiring. He had to be seconds away from coming now, and yet Kurt managed to thrust three more times into Sebastian, which was just enough to get his boyfriend to the finish line.

Kurt's own release followed his almost immediately, and with the act done, the couple slumped on the bed together, worn out and lost for words. Sebastian opened one eye and watched Kurt tie up the condom and lean over the side of the bed so he could toss it into the trash bin below.

"You should watch gay porn for research more often Kurt, because that was some pretty damn amazing sex we just had," Sebastian announced; he just hoped he would be able to recover enough for a few more rounds.

"I'd much rather learn thing with you than watch two tattooed guys try to act like they're not being paid to fuck each other," remarked Kurt, who was now lying on his back and still breathing heavily.

The lack of believable hardcore gay porn that wasn't riddled with ads was one of the main reasons he'd rarely bothered with it. There was nothing like the real thing, and while research was all well and good, it could only take you so far.

Sebastian turned his head to his left and glanced at Kurt, who had a big goofy grin on his face. "How tired are you?"

Kurt eyed him suspiciously. "Is this some sort of test?" He shifted closer until their bodies were touching.

"I'm just trying to figure out if we should just call it a night, go take a shower and dress for bed, or if we'll be able to act like typical teenage boys and be ready to go again once we've taken a breather." Sebastian thought he could manage more, but doing so at Kurt's expense was out of the question.

"I am tired, but not as much as the last few times have been for us. I would prefer if we took a shower first though. It's hard to get back in a sexy state of mind when all I'm feeling is sweaty and sticky," Kurt replied, pushing himself up so he could rest his chin on Sebastian's shoulder with a flirtatious grin.

"I knew you had it in you, babe." Sebastian could have added some dirty comment like 'and you can have me in you too once I'm able' but he didn't feel the need. He slipped his arm under Kurt and around his waist. "Okay we'll take a shower first then." Sebastian attempted to force himself up into a sitting position, but he didn't get very far. "In a minute."

After Kurt and Sebastian were freshly showered and had dried off enough to head back to bed, both boys admitted they hadn't recovered enough to try their luck again. Sebastian told himself his lack of energy was due to the show that day, and tried not to worry too much about it. He was sure they'd be fucking like rabbits in no time, and he hadn't ruled out that it could happen tonight either.

Getting to snuggle up in bed with a naked Kurt wasn't anything to dread either, and as they lay there wrapped in each other's arms, he remembered his promise from before.

"Do you want me to tell you more about Santana now, or shall we discuss something else? Like what brought you to google up sex positions and when it happened…" Sebastian wiggled his eyebrows at Kurt to show which of the two he preferred.

Kurt just rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Let's start with Santana and maybe-as a reward-I'll tell you about my adventures in researching about sex."

That was enough of an incentive for Sebastian to deliver his part of the bargain, but not before he got all nice and comfy. He grabbed for the throw blanket on the bed, draping it over their bottom halves for extra warmth, and moved his arm to drape around Kurt's shoulder. "As you know, I transferred to my first public high school in my sophomore year, and I took an instant liking to it. I was somewhat of an enigma there-unlike my time in private schools-I was truly unique and the guy everyone was talking about. People gave me a wide berth at first, which I hardly minded, but then, on my third day there, someone finally dared to approach me, and that person was Santana. I took one look at her and I thought she had to be your typical run of the mill popular girl: head cheerleader who was dating the quarterback or something like that. But what I didn't know was that Santana had dumped her jock boyfriend and was on the hunt for someone else to set her hooks in, someone she could really flaunt around campus. And I, being new blood, as well as easy on the eyes, and who had an air of mystery about him, was the perfect candidate-or so she thought." Santana had thrown every trick in the book at him and it had been so enjoyable to act totally unaffected by any of it. He didn't need to know her to realize he would probably be the first guy to ever turn her down. "When she finished trying to shamelessly seduce me, I casually told her was that she was wasting her time with me."

Her shocked reaction had been priceless, if only he had gotten his phone out to film it! He could have used the footage to blackmail her into leaving him alone the second she had showed up at his door tonight. "Instead of backing down, Santana asked me why that was-she probably thought I had a girlfriend or something-so I told her I was gay, thinking that would put an end to her advances, but I was wrong."

"I'm almost afraid to ask what she did next," Kurt said.

Sebastian smirked at his boyfriend. "Are you actually?"

"Oh, god no, please don't leave me hanging!"

"Santana offered to be my beard so I could remain safe at school." Sebastian had laughed in her face when she'd suggest that to him. "She was none too pleased when I flat out told her that I was out and intended to stay that way regardless of her wanting to play heroine for my sake." For one terrifying moment, Sebastian had feared Santana would retaliate with violence, but she did nothing of the sort, much to his relief.

"She left after that, since I clearly would be no use for her, and I thought that would be the end of it. I turned my attention to getting used to my new surrounding and disquinishing who I would have to look out for, and whom I might get lucky with."

"I can't imagine there being that many closeted guys to score with, at least not at my own high school," Kurt muttered with a smirk.

Sebastian shrugged. "It's probably less than you're imagining, but more than most would assume. A bunch of them weren't worth my time though, and finding the ones that were soon became my biggest challenge. Anyway, this story is about my dealings with Santana and not the number of guys I fucked, so let's get back to that. Now where was I…"

"You shot down Santana and you thought you were free of her annoying presence," offered Kurt, who shifted himself until he was sitting on his side; Sebastian followed his lead so they could face one another.

"Right, thanks babe. A couple of days later Santana started going out of her way to talk to me; she'd show up at my locker whenever I was there-hers was three down from mine-and she'd sit by me in the classes we shared, and at lunch. It didn't take me long to realize what was going on, I just had no clue what her angle could even be. I tried to pay as little attention as possible to her, at least at first, but then she started pointing out which guys she thought were secretly gay and it turned out her _gaydar_ was extremely accurate. Before I knew it, we had some sort of weird one sided friendship going on and I actually found myself looking forward to her company."

Sebastian shuddered, which made Kurt giggle. "You need to understand that I was quite the lone wolf at this point of my life. I wasn't used to anyone giving the effort to get to know me, and to do it without any sort of ulterior motives, but I of course knew better than to think that's what Santana was doing. I didn't trust her seemingly selfless act for one second."

"If I had to make a guess, I bet she thought having you, as the only out boy at school, as a friend would boost her popularity at school," Kurt said, his frowning showing how stupid he thought that notion was.

"I had the exact same thought myself," Sebastian replied, leaning his head forward so he could peck Kurt on the lips. "I decided enough was enough and I was going to call her out on it the next opportunity I got. And the perfect scenario happened two days later when Santana invited me out for coffee after class was over. So there we were, seated across from one another at the local coffee shop, just like any other pair of high school friends killing time, or that's what it must have seemed like to Santana, who had no idea what hell was I about to unleash upon her.

Sebastian grinned as the memory of that day came back to him, as clear as if it had happened yesterday.

"Why are we here, Santana?" Sebastian asked Santana after taking his first sip of his poorly-made espresso.

Santana Lopez was not an easy women for Sebastian to figure out, though in all honesty he'd never given much thought about girls since he'd hit puberty-aside from women's fashion.

"Why to grace this humble coffee house with our gorgeous presense of course. I thought it would be obvious to someone as high class as you, Smythe," Santana replied matter-of-factly. She was looking particularly femme fatale today in her long sleeve, electric red dress that Sebastian recognized was by BCBGMAXAZRIA.

"Why did you invite me here to coffee? Are you hoping people will think we're dating? I bet turning the school's only gay would earn you some pretty hefty bragging right among your fellow female students." He knew it would take more than talking direct for Santana to own up to anything, which was why he was glad they were out in the public. If Santana were to tear him down like she usually did to those who pissed her off at school, he'd get to watch her get kicked out of the coffee house. He almost kind of wished she would pull something like that just so it could happen.

But Santana held her tongue and just rolled her eyes at him. "You think way too highly of yourself, Sebastian. Maybe if you worked on that, instead of throwing accusations at me, you'd come off as less of the dick and then some nice guy might actually want to date you for once."

Such backhanded comments would have offended the average person, but not Sebastian, who found her ability to say whatever she wanted to people without any remorse rather impressive. It told Sebastian that there was more to Santana Lopez than her generous bust and radiant beauty.

Santana flipped her hair at him in sassy defiance. "But to answer your question: no I'm not trying to lure you over to the straight side. I honestly just wanted to hang out with you." She leaned forward in her chair. "Did you see that horrid excuse of a dress Kate Hershire wore to class tonight. I mean, what was she thinking, wearing those shoes with her dumpy frame." Santana shuddered with apparent horror and drank more of her caffe mocha to wash the memory away.

Sebastian knew she was lying about something; she was clutching her coffee cup a little too tightly. Her attempts to distract him by talking about clothes so he wouldn't notice she was trying to manipulate him wasn't working either, though he wasn't ready to let her know that yet. Something had been bothering her all week, but Sebastian hadn't figured out what had her looking so on edge. She'd stuck to Sebastian like glue all day, and she should know by now that he hated when people got too clingy.

"I'm never going to become your flaming gay friend who gives you fashion advice, is always there when you need a shoulder to cry on and who worships you like you're fucking Madonna either."

Once again, Santana rolled her eyes in amusement. "Are you seriously comparing yourself to Madonna now? And I thought I was the most self absorbed person in this city."

Things were going nowhere and Sebastian had to get going to his sewing class if he wanted his usual spot at the back of the classroom. "I'm gonna go; I have much more better things to do with my time than to sit around here and listen to your unoriginal comebacks."

With the first official school dance around the corner, Sebastian was dying to make something out of the fabric he'd just bought for the occasion. It was time to show his fellow students that men could wear something other than a black suit ensemble. Seriously, what was with straight men being so afraid of putting some colour in their drab wardrobes.

Sebastian rose from his chair and was about to leave when Santana suddenly grabbed onto his arm to stop him. He was about to tell her to fuck off before she wrinkled the fabric of his jacket, but when he saw the fear in her wide eyes, his words fell flat. He'd never seen her look so vulnerable before.

"Wait," she pleaded in a quiet voice, and when Sebastian didn't try to move away, she continued, "There's something I need to tell you…" She fidgeted in her seat, her eyes darting around to make sure no one was paying attention to them. "Something I've never told anyone before."

"I'm listening, but you better make it quick, Lopez." Sebastian wasn't sure whatever she had to tell him would be worth it, but he decided to risk and took a seat back at the table, drumming his fingers to show his impatience.

Santana sighed; her hesitance had Sebastian intrigued, because he'd seen this kind of reluctance before, usually from the closeted men he hit on. _'Hold up, is she about to come out to me?'_ Sebastian thought, barely believing the possibility.

"The reason I keep hanging out with you at school is because we have something in common." Santana put down her empty cup, and took a deep breath. "You and I play on the same team."

_'Would you look at that, my hunch was right. I so didn't see it coming though,'_ Sebastian thought with amusement. "I'm not following you..."

"I'm a lesbian, I'm gay for girls all right, or do I need to spell it out for you more?"

"Shut up!" Sebastian exclaimed in a high pitched voice that he imagined a cliche gay bff would have made. He even went so far as to dramatically slam his hands on the table, much to the annoyance of Santana, who was glaring at him now. "I would have never guessed, what with the way you've gotten around with the guys at school. That's a compliment by the way; I personally don't see a woman's sexual history-however long or short it might be-as anything to be ashamed of."

"You can cut the after-school special speech Sebastian, I didn't tell you I was gay so I could hear your opinions about women's rights. I just needed to tell someone, it was eating me up inside and you're the only person I know who's gay."

Sebastian was the one to roll his eyes this time. "If you're expecting me to feel honoured then you're wasting your time." He actually thought it was pretty foolish her to trust him when they barely knew one each other.

"I'm not ready to come out to anyone else yet. But I've reached a point where I don't want to keep sleeping with men anymore. I'm through being the school slut; it's not who I am. There's so much more to me and I want… no I need to stop lying to myself. I'm never going to be the girl who marries her prince charming and lives happily ever after. I don't even want that kind of fairytale life, but I do want to find things I'm passionate about."

He would never admit it to her, but Sebastian shared many of those same desires himself. Few people seemed to realize that men could be slut shamed too, and hated themselves because of it. Sebastian didn't regret his epic sexual history to that extent, though if he hadn't found designing things might have been different. So he got what Santana was trying to say, even if she wasn't doing a very good job of it.

"I don't know what you're expecting from me; being out doesn't mean I have a better idea of what I'm doing or anything," Sebastian began, refusing to console her with empty comments.

"But you do have things you're passionate about…"

"There's more to me than my love of sex, Santana, which you would know if we were actual friends."

"I wasn't talking about sex, Smythe, so stop interrupting me."

Sebastian decided to humour her, at least until he needed to head off in the next few minutes.

"I know how much you love fashion, you're always looking at fashion magazines in class and on your phone," Santana said, poking him lightly on the arm, as if he should be impressed or something.

"Oh please, that would be easy for anyone to deduce. If you had really bothered to learn more about me, you would have realized my true love is fashion design, Santana," he scolded.

To Sebastian's surprise, Santana smiled at him what look liked genuine interest. "Designing huh? I always thought you were just doodling obscene cartoons."

"I am sometimes, but most of the time I'm sketching possible outfit designs. I'm taking a sewing and design after school class down at the local community centre. It's nothing high level, but the teacher still knows enough that I'm learning things." Sebastian glanced at the time on his phone. "Speaking of which, I need to go in a second here… would you possibly feel like going with me? It's something a real friend would do…"

Santana eyed him. "A sewing class, seriously?"

"Hey, don't knock it till you try it."

"I guess I could tag along, since I have nothing better to do, and I have to admit, getting to see you bent over a sewing machine sure would make my day," Santana admitted.

The matter settled, Sebastian rose from his chair and waited for Santana, who smiled at him as she picked up her purse and followed him out of the coffee shop. His reasons for inviting her along weren't him just being friendly: hopefully she would butt heads with some of the more annoying people in his class and send them packing.

Either way, Sebastian had the feeling it would be a class to remember, no matter what the outcome. And who knew, maybe in addition to helping weed out some of the less serious students, Santana could even learn a thing or two herself.

"And did she learn anything?" Kurt asked when Sebastian finished retelling the memory to him.

"Amazingly enough she did, her sitting in on that class marked a pivotal moment in her life; it's was when she first caught the designing bug. From then on, Santana threw herself into the craft, and it wasn't long before it became much more than a simple hobby for her. I was both amazed and amused by her drive, and as time went on I became secretly jealous of her undeniable talent. The clothes she was creating made my work look like that of a novice in comparison."

"That must have been difficult for you," Kurt said.

Sebastian smiled at him sheepishly; the fact that Kurt's voice didn't hold any kind of judgement made it easier for him to own up to the truth. "It was at times… but I managed to eventually rise above my own pettiness and just be happy for her. I found it fun to finally have someone I could talk to that shared my passion for designing. I can't count the many times we'd get together to bounce ideas off of each other, or go fabric shopping. And if Santana and I disagreed on something, she never thought to hold her opinions from me. Sometimes those arguments blew up in our faces, but we always came around in the end."

He told Kurt a number of amusing anecdotes from his and Santana's years together in school: including when Santana had helped her pick out the fabric for Unique's first dress, how they had been each other's dates for junior prom, and the time that they had stopped talking for an entire week after fighting over who was the best dressed at that year's emmy awards show.

"But in our senior year everything changed. Santana and I quickly stood out as the most promising students in our textiles class, so when our teacher told us about a statewide fashion design show, we were instantly on board. The fact that only two students from each school could enter made us want to sign up even more. The top three finalists would receive full scholarships to study in London at a top school for fashion design. Santana and I threw ourselves into the task. We had this plan to both win a scholarship and go to London together. We spent almost our entire senior year preparing for the show, and worked our asses off."

Sebastian still didn't know how he'd managed to get laid so often during that year. Though it may have had something to do with Santana constantly dragging him off to clubs in the evenings to detox.

"This competition was our chance to enter the big leagues and, in our ignorance, we thought we had a pretty good chance. That all changed once we arrived and saw hundreds of other teens who were just as driven as we were. But as bleak as it looked, Santana and I told ourselves we had made it this far and weren't going to give up," he explained.

Sebastian rolled onto his back so he could stare at the ceiling. "I was a complete wreck that day. I had never wanted something so bad before… it was a fucking nightmare. It got so bad that Santana had to step in and snap some sense in me… and by snap, I mean she slapped me, right across the face."

Kurt gasped, "No!" He sat up from the bed in utter disbelief.

"Yep, it's true." It was so like Kurt to react so emotionally to something that had happened to Sebastian over a year ago.

"I'm not so sure I like the idea of you meeting her for brunch tomorrow now…"

"There's no need to act all protective." Sebastian hugged Kurt by the shoulders to make him stop scowling. "It was exactly what I needed, and it's thanks to her that I was finally able to get my shit together. And not a moment too soon. Because like everyone else, I was my own model for the show, so I covered up the slap mark on my face with some borrowed foundation and strutted my stuff-though you did a much better job than I did, babe," he added, kissing him on the lips.

Sebastian wished he could skip the next part, but Sebastian wanted him to know the full story. "Maybe if I'd had you with me then I wouldn't have wound up getting fifth place." He bet the loss he'd felt back then would have been less of a blow if Kurt had been there, but there was little point in dwelling on what could have been.

"Santana ended up getting second place, and she honestly deserved it. You should have seen the suit she made for the show. Remind me to show you the photos I took of it sometime."

"Only if you promise to show me the outfit you made for the show as well," insisted Kurt, who had his arms protectively around his boyfriend's waist.

"Putting my own crushing loss aside to congratulate Santana was one of the toughest things I've ever had to do…" Sebastian pulled away from Kurt a bit and was glad that his boyfriend seemed to sense that his need for space wasn't any sort of personal rejection. He didn't go very far, still sitting close enough to Kurt that their shoulders were touching. "I wanted to hate her Kurt, it would have been so much easier to blame her for robbing my dream from me. I guess I wasn't used to failure and so I took things badly… luckily for me Santana was too busy basking in her victory to really take any notice."

The rest of his senior high school year had gone by in such a flash. He barely remembered his senior prom, but that was more because Santana ended up spiking the punch. His graduation ceremony had been so boring, until his mother got so hysterical he'd needed to shut himself off from the world just to get through it.

"It was tough for a while but I knew I couldn't let that one loss keep me down forever, so I stepped up and made a new plan for myself. I applied to SAIC-as well as other colleges with good fashion design programs-and hoped for the best. Just as Santana was preparing to head off to London for this amazing new chapter of her life, I got my acceptance letter from SAIC and Sebastian Smythe was back on the road to greatness, I would just be taking a different path than Santana."

He hadn't seen Santana off at the airport; it would have felt too awkward with her family there, and he wasn't her boyfriend or anything.

"She tried to keep in touch at first, but her texts became fewer and far in between as time went on. I didn't blame her either, who would want to cling to the past when they were living in a whole new country. I had my own things going on in Chicago: Unique had become a close friend and Puck and Sugar came into the picture as well. Before I knew it I had a life of my own with friends who seemed to like me for who I was." Sebastian winked at Kurt. "Does that sound at all familiar to you, Kurt?" He'd heard Kurt say almost those exact words a number of times before.

"It's nice to know we have a similar experience in finding friends of our very own," Kurt agreed.

"Being surrounded by loved ones sure made this loss a lot easier to bear." Sebastian cupped the side of Kurt's face. "It makes me feel less of a loser somehow." He'd meant to say that as a joke, but somehow his tone sounded far more serious.

Kurt smiled at him, though not in sympathy, and placed his hands over Sebastian's. "You're not a loser Sebastian, you are the most amazing man I have ever met. You truly have a gift, and no one will convince me otherwise." He leaned forward to kiss Sebastian softly on the mouth. "Not even you."

When Sebastian had formed the perfect image of the model he had wanted to find for the show in his mind, he told himself such a person couldn't be real. Little did he know that not only was Kurt out there waiting for him, but would bring so much joy to his lonely life. He had never realized how much he doubted his own ability until Kurt had come along. And now he couldn't believe how he had gotten so far without him.

They spent the next hour making love until they couldn't keep their eyes open for any longer. Sebastian was beyond worn out and yet his mind was still busy with a million different thoughts. As he gazed at Kurt's sleeping figure, he thought how being with Kurt made him want to be a better person. If his boyfriend were awake and able to read minds, he probably would have pointed out that Sebastian should want to be a better person for himself first and foremost.

_'Looks like I still have a lot to learn when it comes to self value.'_ Failure was a part of life after all. Maybe this could be something he and Kurt could work on together.

Sebastian felt much more prepared to meet with Santana tomorrow, and forcing her to listen to him endlessly gush about his incredible boyfriend during brunch seemed like just the sort of payback she deserved.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter notes:

Here is chapter 17 finally. Sorry for the delay on it. My beta and I are going to try to get chapter 18 posted in two weeks, but I can't say for sure that we will. I'll put any updates on my tumblr. Thank you for all of your patience, readers, and I hope you enjoy the chapter! We're getting to the end stretch now.

Chapter 17

Dressed only in a fresh pair of Boss boxer-briefs and undershirt, Sebastian was in his closet assessing his options. What might be considered a simple task for some was an elaborate undertaking for him, and a key part to his morning ritual. Except things had started rather late on this particular day; it was already well past ten am.

Sebastian massaged the slight kink out of his neck with his hand as he stared at a row of pants. He was completely wrung out and feeling it now, though he considered it a small price to pay, after how fucking amazing the morning had been.

Every once in awhile Sebastian felt the urge to wear the same brand for his entire outfit, and today he was in a Balmain mood. He took his pair of skinny fit waxed denim jeans out to study; the texture of the black jeans made them appear to be faux leather of some kind, which wasn't something he'd normally wear to brunch, but considering who he was going to meet, it would be fine.

"Now for the shirt," Sebastian muttered to himself as he headed to the correct spot, limping slightly as he went. _'Kurt sure went all out this morning,'_ he thought amusedly, although he had dished it right back so they had finished evenly enough.

Sebastian hadn't really understood the hype about morning sex until he'd gotten to experience it himself. Before he and Kurt had started dating, Sebastian hadn't stayed long enough with men (even his exes) to get to the morning part.

That had all changed when he'd woken up to find his boyfriend up, alert, and in what he soon discovered was quite a randy mood.

His hands found their way to his designer t-shirt collection and stopped at his Bailman slim-fit printed cotton-jersey t-shirt. The classic crew-neck tee featured a crown-topped coat of arms encircled by snarling tigers. _'Yes, this will do nicely.'_ He actually hoped that Santana would comment on him wearing a t-shirt so he could tell her its high $450 retail price.

Sebastian was just about to exit his closet and dress himself, when Kurt appeared at the doorway. He was wearing Sebastian's asian floral print silk dressing gown and his hair was still damp from the shower he'd just taken.

Kurt still had the same playful grin on his face as when he'd left Sebastian to head to the bathroom. "Still going to your brunch date with Santana then? I'm amazed you're still up for it, considering what we got up to not that long ago."

Sebastian snorted, walking past him and into his bedroom. "So that was your angle then, you wanted to wear me out so much that I'd cancel on her and spend the whole day with you." He'd figured this out five minutes into foreplay, but hadn't felt like pointing it out at the time-or putting a stop to it.

"Since you're picking out clothes I gather my attempts have failed?" Kurt asked, taking the shirt from his boyfriend so he could admire it. "I'm going to have to borrow this from you…"

"Fine, but not today, babe," said Sebastian, who had just finished putting on his pants and snatched the shirt back from his smirking boyfriend.

Once the shirt was safely on he went over to his vanity and fixed up his hair; Kurt was silently watching him with bemusement and seeing his deliciously dishevelled state in the mirror was hard for Sebastian to ignore. He loved how his boyfriend seemed to know exactly how to deal with their loss from before: first with a round of enjoyable morning sex, then some freshly made coffee to help perk them back up. Now Kurt wasn't dwelling on the past, but was as flirty as ever. Of course Sebastian knew better than to hope all was well with him, because his own depression over losing was still far from over, he just chose to bottle it up for now instead of letting it keep him down.

He was Sebastian Smythe: giving up was not an option, so he would march bravely on (in spite of his slight limp) and have brunch with Santana as if it were any other day for him.

"This has been fun babe, but I'm afraid I must leave you now, if only for a little while," Sebastian turned to his boyfriend, who smiled at him sweetly, and went over to give him a kiss goodbye.

Kurt moved his head back right before their lips met; his eyes were wild and full of mischief. "Won't you stay with me for a bit longer?" When his sensual pout wasn't enough to change Sebastian's mind, he upped his game, undoing the tie on the robe so he could slip the garment off of his shoulders in one fluid motion. "Not even for this?" he asked as the robe fell to the floor, revealing his naked body in all of its beautiful splendour.

Sebastian clenched his hands into tight fists as he resisted the urge to pounce on Kurt. He tried to remind himself of the hell he would surely unleash if he dared to stand Santana up. Despite his feeble attempts, he was unable to resist scanning his eyes down Kurt's intoxicating frame.

"Breathtaking…" he whispered, clutching his chin with his hand as he studied Kurt's body a little more. "And if we hadn't just spent the last two hours fucking, I would find it impossible to resist you, babe."

Kurt let out a mocking sigh and nonchalantly bent down to pick up and put the robe back on. "You can't blame a guy for trying." This time when Sebastian leaned in for a kiss Kurt welcomed it, pressing his mouth against Sebastian's.

Bad idea. The second their lips met, Sebastian was hit with an overpowering sense of yearning. He didn't want to leave Kurt, he wanted to spend every waking second with him! Which of course was fucking stupid, if not impossible, because no one, not even soulmates (not that he believed the premise) could endure being with their paramour for that long. And yet Sebastian still felt that way. He wondered if Kurt did as well, but he wasn't about to ask him. It never dawned on Sebastian that he could love someone so much that he was in risk of smothering them.

When the kiss was over Kurt fluttered his eyes at Sebastian, but didn't go back for more. Sebastian chuckled at him, allowing one final peck on the lips before he released his arms from around Kurt's waist. "It's not like I'm leaving you forever babe, I'll be back in a few hours…" He frowned for a moment, realizing he didn't know that for sure. "I think. I'll text you when I'm done."

Kurt nodded. "I'm sure I'll survive without you somehow."

They walked to the door hand in hand and Sebastian stopped to grin at Kurt before opening it.

"If it's all right with you Sebastian, I'd like to spend the day here at your apartment rather than go home just yet." Kurt's face gave no clues to his reason for wanting to stay away from his house, and truthfully Sebastian didn't feel too inclined to ask him.

"Sure, you already have a key of your own in case you decide to go out anywhere," Sebastian replied, even though he knew he didn't have to mention it. "You know what I'd really love? If you and I go out on a date later on tonight."

"I'd love that too," Kurt said with a flirtatious grin, kissing him one final time before he stepped back to allow Sebastian to leave.

Sebastian winked at Kurt and headed out through the door and down the hallway. His need to have the last word was too much to resist though, so he added, "Until then, Kurt." before disappearing around the corner.

By the time Sebastian made it to the restaurant he and Santana had decided on, he only ended up being nine minutes late. As he stepped inside of the building, he'd half expected to be the first one there, but he was quickly proven wrong. His eyes quickly found Santana, who was casually sitting at a table reading something on her phone. She was wearing a printed dress that had to be by Clover Canyon, judging by the look of it, which was one of her classic brands. He admired it for a moment longer; the top was a bright sky blue that changed to pink as it went down, and the bottom had a ruffle frill that ended mid thigh.

He suddenly got a brilliant idea and pulled out his phone to see if he could find her dress online. It didn't take him very long to find it, and good thing too because when he looked her way he saw that Santana had finally caught sight of him.

"Hey there, Smythe," she said as he walked casually over to her table. "You look like you've been dragged through hell and back."

Sebastian just smirked at her; he wasn't about to let her taunting remark make him worry about his appearance. He already knew she was referring to the subtle limp to his walk and how he was clearly not at his full energy. "If that's what hell is like then I'm afraid I'm a sinner for life," he replied, not bothering to say what 'that' was exactly.

"I'm amazed you let someone else top for once," Santana said as Sebastian sat down in the chair across from her.

"I dunno when-or why-you got the stupid idea that I'm top, or have a single preference at all for that matter." Sebastian normally had no problem discussing his sex life with Santana, but he wasn't sure how much Kurt would want him to tell. Although, considering his actions this morning and how far he'd gone to make things so painfully obvious, Sebastian didn't think he needed to filter himself very much. "I'm loving the Clover Canyon Botanical Dreams Dress by the way, it's nice to see you wearing something other than red for a change."

Santana rolled her eyes. "Is that what you were doing on your phone when you first got here? You're such a fashion know-it-all snob, Smythe. I bet you were hoping I'd say something about your Bailman shirt too."

"Or maybe I just felt like wearing something more casual today, since we're old friends," Sebastian countered, lying through his teeth without batting an eye.

Such a flawless act should have fooled anyone, but not Santana Lopez, who took one look at Sebastian's smug face and sighed. But she held her tongue while Sebastian ordered a large espresso coffee.

"It's too bad about the show," she began with, and her words sounded so sincere Sebastian was barely able to hide his surprise.

What could Sebastian say in response that would save him from having to admit his true feelings about not winning first place? He could always lie: he thought he was good enough at it to fool Santana. But just to be safe, he quickly decided the better option was to add enough truth to his words that it would be impossible for her to determine between fact or fiction.

_'I don't have the strength for this shit,'_ he thought with regret, but there was no point bitching about it. Most people came to brunch to have a peaceful meal and share good company; if only his life could be so simple. On second thought, Sebastian knew he would never want such a mundane existence no matter how bad it got, and right now wasn't even that horrible.

"Yeah, it sure sucks all right," Sebastian finally replied when nothing better came to mind.

For one split second, it seemed as if Santana would keep her caring nature act going, until her mouth formed her usually smug grin. And that was never a good sign.

"I'm actually amazed that your hyperbolic suit took second place. Sometimes you're way too elaborate with your designs for you own good, Sebastian. You don't always have to go the groundbreaking route you know, or at least, not to such an extent. What matters the most is the piece itself, not adding more accessories than you need." Santana caught the attention of the waiter as he passed. "Shall we make our orders, love?" she asked, as if they were an adorable couple out on a date.

Sebastian merely nodded; he had expected her to lecture him about his entry, he just hadn't anticipated the extent she would go-which was pretty damn far. He wasn't offended though, especially since a lot of what she had said was basically true-as much as he hated to admit it.

"I'm touched that you care about me enough to give me your full unbiased opinion, Santana," Sebastian said once they had ordered their meal, his voice oozing sarcasm, even though he was actually being honest. Because he did appreciate her sincerity, and he was tough enough to see past the cruelty of her words to hear the emotion behind them.

"Well somebody needs to, or how else are you going to grow as a designer and rise to your full potential? Because I know you have you have unmeasurable talent Sebastian. The passion you have for the art, it's fucking incredible. That being said, there's something seriously wrong with your value system. Despite how you often act, designers aren't illusionists who create dreams."

Sebastian roll his eyes at her; what had she rehearsed her lecture on her plane ride here or something?

Santana just ignored him and went on. "I'm not saying you can't be flashy or anything, you just need to know when it's appropriate and when it's too over-the-top."

It was so like Santana to not offer any sort of solution to his so called _problems_. "So if I've got this right, you're basically saying I should lay aside my artistic airs and focus on making clothes for others rather than just for my own amusement?" He paused for a moment, using the short break to drink more of his espresso.

"I'd never say anything that poetic, but that is the jist of it," Santana said.

"Where's the fun in that, Santana?"

"Is that all designing is for you Sebastian, something fun? Where did the man who would do whatever it took to make a name for himself go?" Santana demanded, though her voice was as calm as ever.

"Here's still here, he's just discovered that there's more to life than designing, and that some of those other things can help inspire him... like never before."

Either Santana couldn't think of anything good to say in response, or she was bored of the subject, because she simply threw her hands up in the air. Their food soon arrived and the pair of friends ate in a silence for a peaceful moment.

"I'm pretty sure the people who did vote for you did because they were seduced by that boss model of yours. Where did you even find him anyway? He's so pretty I could barely believe my eyes at first. He lorded over the entire audience, and drew them all into your world. Even I felt sucked in by him, which considering the fact that I don't swing that way, is sure saying something."

Sebastian chuckled. That was quite the compliment for her; he would have to tell Kurt about it later. "He does tend to have that kind of effect on people." There wasn't any reason to withhold Kurt's name from her, or that they were dating, and he would tell her. Just as soon as he came up with the best way to do it (as in, for him to enjoy-hopefully at Santana's expense). "How's life in London?" That should buy him enough time to think of something good.

Apparently none the wiser to Sebastian's decision, Santana happily took over the conversation. "It's been mostly good; all of the students at my school are super ambitious, so I've had to work extremely hard to keep up. I like to think I'm doing well though, I may not be at the very top like we were in high school, but I'm pretty proud with the success I've had so far."

She put down her knife and fork and leaned forward on the table. "There's way more opportunities for young designers there. Even though England can be as brand crazy as here in the States, I've found it's easier to sell clothing there. The people there are so diverse, all you need to do is make interesting pieces to attract potential buyers. I've barely had to use the saving I brought along at all."

Sebastian raise an eyebrow at her; he had no reason to distrust her, but it all sounded far too good to be true to him. "I'd be down with that for sure." He hadn't had much luck selling any of this clothes, though he hadn't put anything up for purchase recently. The show had kept him too busy, but now that it was over, he needed to make up for lost time.

Just the idea of making clothes for the sake of sales was so boring though. What he really wanted to do was make a bunch of fabulous outfits for Kurt.

"I know I've told you plenty of times before, but you seriously need to come to London, Sebastian.

_'Not this again,'_ Sebastian thought, rolling his eyes. She had been trying to convince him to abandon Chicago and everything he'd achieved here to run off to London.

"London is the perfect place for someone who ignores trends and just makes whatever they feel like making," Santana stated, which Sebastian knew for a fact she had said before in one of her e-mails to him (word per word).

"I'm still not buying it, Santana," he plainly replied with a smug smile. What would it take for her to give up on him? Why couldn't she just focus on herself like usual and leave him alone? Why the hell did she want him to go to London anyway? He had this theories, and he decided to voice one now (as futile as it might be). "So you'll just have to find someone else to be your clubbing buddy."

Sebastian decided to give her a taste of her own medicine by bringing a topic he knew she wouldn't want to discuss. "_How is_ your love life going? Have you found anyone special to scissor in Jolly Old England?" Oh, he could have some real fun with this, especially since she still had no idea that Sebastian was in a relationship. It wouldn't take much to get her to comment on his promiscuous ways and then he would have her right where he wanted and where he could lord the fact over her.

And that was only the beginning, as soon as Sebastian told her he had a boyfriend, he would spend the rest of their meal going on and on about Kurt, listing the many things he loved about him.

Santana cut a piece of her pancake and popped into her mouth, no doubt to stall as long as she could. "I'm way too busy to even bother with romance right now, Sebastian." Judging by the twitch in her eye, it had probably been awhile since she'd last gotten laid.

"I'd commend you for rising above your physical urges…" Sebastian couldn't allow himself to get too cocky; one wrong move and he could end up eating his words. "... if I believed such practices worked, then who I am to judge." He smiled at her affectionately. "But as the saying goes, all work and no play makes Santana a dull gal. So I hope you're still getting out now and then, because it would be such a shame for you to deny yourself any sort of pleasure at all."

Santana grinned at him. "Don't you worry your pretty little head about me, Sebby; I'm still allowing myself some playtime. The only thing that's changed is how I don't let my personal life distract me from my goals." She noticed how Sebastian was snickering at her and she rolled her eyes again. "Mock me if you must, but I'm getting top grades as well as great acclaim at one of the best fashion design schools in the country, if not the world."

"Then I'm happy for you, Santana," Sebastian said with surprising sincerity. My, my, my, look who was finally able to swallow his own pride and act like a real adult. He had meant to say that with much more sarcasm. It made him wonder if Kurt had anything to do with his newfound maturity.

"I want you to be happy too, Sebastian. I honestly think you'd fit right in in London, and there's oodles of gorgeous men who all have sexy British accents who are ripe for the taking."

"Just how much of a slut do you think I am?" Okay, maybe he had more growing up to do still, but screw it.

"Who said anything about you being a slut?" replied Santana, who didn't bother to keep her voice down, which caused more than a few raised brows from those seated around them.

Sebastian didn't have any problem discussing his sex life out in the open, but it soon became clear some of those within earshot did. He had half a mind to ignore them and just continue their conversation, but there was no telling what Santana might blurt out. He didn't apologize, but he did ask their waiter for their cheque, and Sebastian planned to tip him generously before he and Santana left the restaurant.

Once he had his credit card back after paying for the meal (Santana didn't even try to stop him), he rose from his seat, not even bothering to wait for Santana to do the same. He heard the click of her heels behind him as he made his way to the door, smiling to himself as he walked through it, passing a family as they stepped inside.

"I'll give you a ride to your house; I think I remember the way still," Sebastian offered as he headed to where his convertible was parked.

"I'm staying at a hotel, it's easier since I'm here for such a short time," Santana said. "I'd decline but it's been way too long since I've had a ride with you in Carmen."

Despite how whimsical Sebastian could be, he wasn't the type of man to name his vehicle, which Santana damn well knew, and kept choosing to ignore. The fact that Santana had come to see him, and had gone to the show at SAIC made him remember why they were friends. He was one of the few people who got to see the caring side of Santana Lopez; most people only saw the bitch queen persona she projected to ensure no one dared to go against her.

Sebastian opened the passenger door for her and she thanked him with a playful wink. Once she was comfortably seated he went over to the driver side and climbed inside. It had been far too long since they'd cruised together; some of their best conversation had taken place during their many drives.

"Are you afraid your dad would say no if you asked him to put up the money for you to study abroad or something? It's still not too late to apply for scholarships, Sebastian, and you can always start a term later if needed. Lost of students transfer in mid term and catch up pretty quick," Santana said shortly after they pulled out of parking lot.

"He'd probably say yes," Sebastian admitted. His dad was surprisingly supportive of the things his son thought were important. Sometimes the fact that he had no trouble throwing money around like water ruined what should have been a thoughtful gesture.

"Then what's keeping you from ditching this town and seeing the world? Just thinking about what you could create if you broadened your horizons more gives me chills, Sebby." She clutched her arms and shivered, but Sebastian wasn't too convinced by her act.

Sebastian put his eyes on the road ahead of him. "I've seen plenty of the world already Santana, or have you forgotten the six months I spent in Paris when I was fourteen, or the countless vacations I've taken ever since I was a kid." Terri had often used travel as a way to cope with her unfulfilling life, and she'd brought her son along for many of them. His earlier memories weren't so grand though and usually consisted at staying in fancy hotels with his nannies rather than seeing the sights.

That had changed once he was old enough to roam on his own and he considered his stay in Paris one of the best times of his life.

Santana waited until they stopped at a red light to eye him suspiciously. "What's happened to you, Sebby? You're different somehow…" A quick glance from the corner of his eye revealed that she seemed to be truly puzzled, and not just taunting him as usual.

"It's pretty simple; I've met someone," Sebastian stated matter-of-factly.

"Who?"

A lovesick smile spread across his face at the thought of Kurt; how should Sebastian describe him to her? "Someone who I thought couldn't possibly exist, someone who I thought was nothing but a vision that I created when I started sketching my designs for the show. But then, to my complete surprise, one day I saw almost physical embodiment of my vision in human form and I instantly became utterly spellbound by his beauty." He was romanticizing their meeting a bit of course, but his words weren't that far from the truth. He had been surprised by how much Kurt looked like his sketches, first in the photo from his day planner and then in person when they'd first met. His wonder had been slightly diminished by Kurt's less than grateful response, but the potential he'd sensed had left an instant impression on him.

"Is this guy the same one you were with last night, or is he your model for the fashion show?" Santana asked him point blank.

Sebastian chuckled, "He is in fact both one in the same, if you can believe it." This was even a better scenario that he would have hoped for. "His name's Kurt, who, for the record, is my boyfriend and not just some 'flavour of the week' as you _playfully_ put it yesterday night."

"No shit?" Santana's surprise was undeniable, and he didn't need to see her face to know she wasn't putting on an act this time. "He must be something special if he managed to rope you into being in a serious relationship finally."

They were nearing the five star hotel Santana was staying at, so he decided to wait until they were safely parked to give his answer. He turned off the engine and turned to face her, grinning cheekily as he studied her attractive profile. "I'm always serious when it comes to relationships, Santana." That was a bit of a stretch, but Sebastian just went with it. "It's just that everyone before Kurt didn't understand me enough to realize that, or they didn't bother to get to know me enough to see the possibility."

"You look like you're totally in love, Sebby," She said, smiling at him.

"Oh, I am, completely and wholeheartedly. It's actually kind of scary how much I love him."

"You should bring him with you to London then; I bet he would get tons of modeling jobs there."

Sebastian made a snort of derision. "I think I'll pass." He didn't even what to think what would happen if he were to suggest that to Kurt.

"Fine, have it your way and keep wasting your talents in Chicago." Santana got out of the car, but instead of leaving, she casually strode over to the driver side.

"Attending a top renowned school for fashion design sure doesn't feel like slumming to me. I'll have plenty of chances to see the rest of the world once I graduate with high honours. I like where I am right now and I don't see any reason to why I should give up a good thing," Sebastian explained.

"And here I thought you'd be agonizing over your loss and blaming it on the audience's stupidity or something. I'm proud of you Sebby, falling in love seems to be changing you for the better." She leaned down kissed Sebastian on the cheek, leaving a faint red lip print there.

"I guess I didn't need to come here to stage an intervention and drag you out of depression after all, oh well, I'm still glad I came. I wouldn't have believed you're doing fine if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes."

Sebastian wasn't an idiot, he knew that Santana wasn't so easily convinced, and this wouldn't be the last of her trying to convince him to go to London. He could deal with that though. What he wasn't so sure about was if he could convince himself enough to fully believe that he was in fact happy with his life.

He could keep running from his fears for only so long, and yet he refused to accept any of them yet. Not today, not when his defeat was still so fresh; he wanted to pretend he was on the road to recovery and ready to tackle his next challenge head on-because there would be other chances, other wins for him to make: this wasn't the end.

"I'd better go, I need to pack up my stuff and get to the airport before I'll miss my flight," Santana said when the lull in their conversation had reached an awkward length.

"Want me to drive you to the airport?" It was an empty gesture that Santana would no doubt see through.

"No I'm good, the hotel offers a shuttle service to the airport. I'll let you get back to that pretty boyfriend of yours," Santana said, hugging him goodbye.

Sebastian slipped his arms around her waist and held her tightly; she always knew how to give the best hugs. "Try to stay in touch a little better from now on okay?" He was actually going to miss her, and the chance to see her go head to head with Kurt, who he knew could handle her all on his own. Maybe someday that could happen, but when he and Kurt were a bit more prepared for her, and especially not when they were about to have sex.

Santana started walking towards the entrance of the hotel, never bothering to look at at him as she smugly replied, "I will if you will, Smythe."

He smiled at her as he waved goodbye in spite of her showing her back to him. _'She sure has a knack for making dramatic exits,' _he thought, though in this case, things were ending on a rather low key. Which Sebastian was more than fine with; he'd had enough dramatic episodes with her to last him a lifetime.

"Hey there, how was brunch with Satan? Were you able to leave the restaurant with your soul still intact?" Kurt teasingly asked when he answered his boyfriend's call.

Sebastian chuckled, "I'm good, which more than I can say about you. What's got you sounding so pissed off, babe? I sure hope it's nothing I've done."

Blast Sebastian and his sixth sense abilities, although Kurt hadn't really tried that hard to hide the discontent he was feeling from his voice. He was in Hugo Boss and currently going through the sweater and shirts department searching for the perfect shawl collar sweater. Normally he wouldn't be looking at such a pricey brand but his angered state needed an extra high bar of comfort right now.

"Where are you? I just got home and discovered you're not."

"I'm out shopping. I had a fight with my mom." Kurt kept looking at clothes as he talked with Sebastian, hoping it would defuse his temper a bit. His eyes fell on a two toned blue shawl sweater and he smiled, until he saw the 235 dollar price tag on it. "But I need to get away from Hugo Boss and his outlandish prices before I run myself into some serious debt."

"I thought you said you weren't going home yet?"

Kurt put as much distance as he could from the high priced clothes he had been looking and went to find a quiet corner to stand in. He soon found such a place, which was a little cornered off section of wall that kept him out of the line of the on going foot traffic and leaned his back against it.

"I didn't, the fight started the morning of the fashion show. That's why I didn't want to go home today, but my attempted avoidance wasn't enough to keep my mother at bay. She actually called me up demanding to know where I was and why hadn't I come home yet. And this is when I told her I was going to be out for most of the weekend! It's like she doesn't even bother to listen to me, when she was the one to insist we keep good communication with each other. Do you think I give a rat's ass wherever the hell she goes during the day? I still can't believe how shocked she acted when I explained I'd spent the night at your place!" Kurt whole face scrunched at the memory; and everyone called him dramatic; he guess he knew where he'd gotten that trait from.

"Sorry," he quickly apologized when he'd finished his rant. "I don't know why I'm shouting at you when you've done nothing to deserve it." Kurt _was_ limping a bit but they were quite even on that front and he had been the instigator there.

"Why are you apologizing? This is me, Kurt, remember; I know all about having shitty parents how much help venting is. So go right ahead and release all your frustrations: tell me what she said to you before the show," Sebastian urged in his soothing voice that Kurt had quickly come to adore.

Kurt looked around to make sure no one was paying attention to him before he would think to do that. When everyone within view was busy doing their own thing, Kurt sighed heavily. He actually wasn't sure he wanted share the conversation with Sebastian, but how could he say no. "I came down that morning dressed in a casual sweater and jeans and she seemed to think that meant I had come to my senses and wasn't going to the show. I was so mad that she thought I would abandon you guys at the last minute and I told her that without holding back. That was probably my biggest mistake but I didn't care then and I still don't!"

"I'm with you there, babe," Sebastian said. Kurt could almost see his affectionate grin and he managed a weak smile.

He took a deep breath to calm himself down before someone noticed his outburst and called the store security. "I'm heading back to you now. That wasn't even the worst thing she said to me that morning, Sebastian." Kurt had almost forgotten about his fight with his mom because of the excitement with the show, which only made him more annoyed by her call this afternoon. Why couldn't she just let things go for once. So much for her trying to make up for her controlling ways then. He knew she wouldn't be able to change that easily.

The walk to the bus stop gave Kurt a chance to get rid of something of his excess anger. "I don't know how, when, or even why, but somewhere along the line my mom has gotten the wrong impression about SAIC students. She actually said that I should stop hanging out with 'those kids who don't know what they're doing!'" Kurt resist the urge to throw his hands up in the air, in case he accidentally whacked someone in the face. "She can't seem to realize that all of you are working so hard towards your dreams; it's like she can't accept that designing is an actual career choice to be proud of! And modelling, apparently, judging by her lackluster reaction when I told her Miss Corcoran was close to securing my first job through her agency."

Kurt couldn't bring himself to tell Sebastian everything Margaret had said to him; most of it had been empty comments anyway. She would probably apologize to him once he arrived at home; she'd already sent a text saying she'd gone too far and was sorry, Kurt had just been too mad to acknowledge it.

"Sounds like you've had quite the afternoon, are you still up for our date tonight?" Sebastian questioned in a hopeful tone.

"God, I hope so. I should know once I'm at your apartment and in your therapeutic company again." Kurt doubted he would want to part from Sebastian once they were together again, but, since he was still rather sore from their sexual escapades that morning, he knew if they were to stay home it wouldn't be for sex. "I might just want to snuggle up on the couch with you tonight though, just as a warning."

"I was gonna suggest we go out clubbing together, but I'm liking your idea a whole lot better, babe."

Kurt was happy to discover he could laugh again and it was all thanks to his wonderfully witty boyfriend, who always seemed to know exactly what to so say.

"Let's save that momentous first of mine for another day, when we're in better shape to get our groove on," Kurt joked and hearing Sebastian's throaty laughter was music to his ears and made the episode with his mom a little easier to forget. He wasn't ready to forgive her yet, but he did text her a quick message saying he wouldn't be home until late and for her not to worry.

To his utter surprise, his mother sent her own reply almost immediately, but that wasn't the most surprising part.

_**It's time I started trusting you, Kurt. So just text me when you're on your way home, okay?**_

Kurt read the text three times just to make sure he had it right. He was surprised by how much it was setting him off emotionally. He paced back and forth a bit at the bus stop just to give himself something to do until the woman behind him eyed him suspiciously and he stopped. He kept telling himself he didn't need to seek his mom's approval anymore, and yet seeing her write that she trusted him still meant the world to him! He didn't want to mess things up by typing the wrong thing back, so he kept his response as simple as possible.

_Okay. _

Kurt ended up making one more stop before heading back to Sebastian's apartment. He figured if they were planning to stay in for their date, he was in no real rush in any case. When he arrived at Sebastian's front door, Kurt was relieved to see that he was only seven minutes behind schedule and technically not late at all.

But when Kurt went to open the door, he found it locked. At first he didn't think much of it and just unlocked the door with his spare key and maneuvered inside. He did find a bit odd that Sebastian wasn't there to greet him. He never missed a chance to flirt, so what was going on? A scan of the room came up empty. Kurt frowned; where was he?

_'There's no reason to worry, for all I know, he's lying in wait in the bedroom,'_ Kurt assured himself.

"Sebastian? Are you here somewhere?" Kurt decided to call out, just see what his boyfriend's response might be.

For a fearful, albeit overdramatic second, Kurt feared he wouldn't get an answer.

"Where else would I be?" Full of his usual suave swagger, Sebastian stepped out of the bedroom. "Were you expecting me to wait at the door like some overeager pu-" But Sebastian never finished his teasing remark; as soon as his eyes fell on Kurt, he went silent.

Puzzled, Kurt blinked at him. "What?"

Sebastian was grinning from ear to ear as he neared Kurt, circling him around with great interest. "What are you wearing, Kurt?"

"Oh, that's right." Kurt glanced down at his outfit and smiled."I was in a good mood this morning, so I decided to dress up a bit, and when I went into your closet I decided to see what it would feel like to step into your fashionable shoes," he explained, taking his foot (his shoes were borrowed too) and tapping him on the leg.

In true Sebastian Smythe style, Kurt was wearing one of his personally made three piece suits; it had taken Kurt a while to choose which one to go with. He'd finally selected one that was a striking blue, that looked more teal to Kurt, but whatever colour it actually was, he still loved it. It also happened to be the suit Sebastian had worn to their first official date. The shirt he'd pieced it with wasn't the same one Sebastian had worn back then, but Kurt had done that on purpose, since he didn't actually want to fully recreate his boyfriend's ensemble. As soon as his eyes had fallen on the blue paisley dress shirt he was now wearing, Kurt's mind had been made up. The shoes were another easy decision: a pair of brown monk strap shoes by John Lobb-another one of Sebastian's favourites. The tie had been a little harder to find, and all things considered, Kurt thought his spur of the moment purple tie with a silk screened on faint floral motif was quiet on point. The only thing that had really stumped Kurt was which pocket scarf to top it all off with. In the end, Kurt had thrown caution to the wind and just put on the first one he'd pulled out of the drawer. Luckily for him, the accessory in question-skull patterned black and blue-matched so perfectly it was almost as if he'd picked it on purpose.

Kurt had been so proud of his efforts, he'd done his hair up nice and fabulous and strutted out of the apartment as if he were its cocky owner himself. He hadn't even thought about Sebastian's reaction to seeing him dressed in such away. Which was shocking to think about now, but he actually preferred it this way.

"So, tell me, what do you think? I must say I'm starting to understand why you like wearing three piece suits so much. I didn't think the added waistcoat would make so much a difference either, but I feel even more refined somehow," Kurt said, grinning wildly as his boyfriend, who was still intently studying every inch of his clothed body.

"It's no good, Kurt," Sebastian finally said as he removed his hand from his chin so he could shaked his head regretfully at him.

Kurt frowned at him; what could he have possibly done wrong to get such a reaction? He certainly couldn't see anything wrong with his appearance. The fact that three people (two men, and one woman) had complimented him on his outfit (one with words, one by whistling and the last with a very lustful look), sure supported his judgement as well.

With such concrete evidence, there was only one answer that made any sense to Kurt; Sebastian was messing with him for fun. Well two could play at that game (and Kurt was only to happy to).

"I dunno what you're talking about," Kurt defiantly announced.

Sebastian just pursed his lips in mocking confusion. Okay then. Kurt knew how to deal with his smugness. He marched up to him smirking boyfriend, grabbed his hand and walked them both into the bedroom. Sebastian made no attempts to break free and just chuckled along as Kurt brought him to stand in front of his vanity.

"I look pretty damn hot to me," Kurt said, pointing at his reflection.

"Oh you look hot all right, that's the whole problem," Sebastian agreed as he looked at the evidence in front of him. His assessment didn't last very long though, and seconds later he lunged at Kurt, kissing him hard on the mouth without any hint of a warning.

Kurt closed his eyes and gave into the experience, pressing his lips against Sebastian's as he wrapped his arms over his boyfriend's shoulders. When the kiss was eventually ended, Kurt let out a content sigh and gazed at their reflection. _'We make quite the attractive couple,'_ Kurt thought with a happy smile. Sebastian was directly behind him and practically beaming, while Kurt's own expression was far more flustered but he hardly cared.

"You look better wearing this suit than I do, babe, and while I am loving the results…"

Kurt saw where Sebastian was going with this. "You're not exactly happy with the idea of someone wearing one of your suits-that you personally crafted for yourself-better than you?" he offered as he fluttered his eyes.

"Exactly. If it were anyone else I'd be pretty damn pissed; wearing three piece suits and looking fabulous beyond belief in them is what I'm best known for," Sebastian said; his sullen eyes were full of worry and woe and were quite convincing-at least they would be to someone who didn't know any better.

Kurt kissed him. "You don't need to worry about me suddenly stealing your signature style, Sebastian. I may look the part right now..." It was hard for Kurt to tear his attention away from their faces in the mirror-he hadn't really gotten a chance to see how they looked together like this-so he could see to Sebastian's deflated ego. "But we both know this isn't really me; this is me trying to emulate you, and while it's been a fun experience, I normally wouldn't go to such a far extent."

"Did you style your hair like mine too? Or was that just a subconscious coincidence?" Sebastian asked as he studied their similar hairdos in the mirror.

Seeing them together now, it was painfully obvious how Kurt had done his hair up with his boyfriend in mind. Kurt was still tempted to pretend otherwise though, if only to allow Sebastian some deserved teasing rights, but there was no telling how long that could go on for. "I see it as more of as a compliment towards your hair styling skills, but call it what you like."

"So here we both are, just another average young gay couple standing together enjoying each other's witty company. Did you ever think you'd see yourself looking like this, Kurt?" Sebastian asked.

"Not at all. The idea of finding myself in a loving relationship never really entered my mind at all, and I never would've dreamed it would happen so soon." Kurt furrowed his brows; he didn't want their conversation to take a serious turn, so he quickly added, "And I certainly didn't think I'd be the best dressed one of the couple! But look at us right now, we've totally reversed fashion roles." Sebastian was still dressed in his casual Bailman ensemble he'd left in that morning.

Sebastian brought his phone up in front of them. "We should take a photo to commemorate this ironic moment."

"Sure." Kurt grinned at him. "I've been meaning to get a better photo for my lock screen." It was bad enough that Kurt's background was the one his phone had come with.

With Kurt on board with the idea, Sebastian urged him to strike a pose as he took a couple of shots of them leaning close together. When he was finally happy with the results (an additional five photos later) Kurt had him send them to his phone so he could select one for his lock screen. He was tempted to use one for his background also, but he was too attached to the close up shot he'd taken of his butterfly ring to change it.

"Say, I meant to ask, what is that?" Sebastian asked after he put his phone away, pointing at the bag on the vanity in front of them. "If it's condoms, then first off-you didn't need to bother because I'm always stocked up, and secondly; as much as I hate to admit, I am too worn out from this morning to be of any real use to you sex wise…" He pressed himself against Kurt's back, nibbling his ear. "Though I am willing to give it my best shot still… for your sake, babe."

Kurt snorted. "I'm just as sore as you are from our sexual escapades Sebastian, so no, this isn't a huge box of condoms." He picked up his purchase-which he had put down once he'd they arrived at the vanity-and removed it from the plastic bag it had been in. "I passed by this amazing looking bakery on way here and before I knew it…" Kurt felt himself blush, but he just ignored it, and Sebastian's cute little smirk. "... I had bought an entire cheesecake for us."

"Of course you did." Sebastian kissed his cheek. "Shall we head to the kitchen so we can have a slice?"

The fact that Sebastian didn't question him buying such a large quantity of comfort food was just one of the many reasons why Kurt loved him so much.

Humming merrily to himself, Kurt headed to the kitchen and placed the cheesecake on the kitchen counter. Sebastian was right behind him and still smirking away as he took a seat at the table. Kurt selected two plates from the cupboard; he knew where things were better than his own house now.

"So how was brunch?" He realized he'd never gotten an answer when he had asked Sebastian earlier on the phone.

Sebastian shrugged. "It went well enough; Santana was her usually forthcoming self, but that's nothing new." His posture at the table was slightly less relaxed than Kurt was used to seeing when they were alone. It made him wonder just what had been said between the pair of friends and how much it would take to get Sebastian to tell him.

He was glad he'd embraced his decadent side and gotten the cheesecake. Hopefully a few bites of delicious white chocolate and raspberry yummyness would do Sebastian some good. Kurt had always had a bit of a sweet tooth, and it was often hard not to go overboard with desserts during finals. Sometimes he wondered how he'd managed to stay in shape at all before he'd met Sebastian and the others.

Kurt cut two generous slices and placed each on a plate. "Did you tell her about us?"

"I did; to say she was surprised would be putting it lightly." He chuckled and shook his head at the memory. "She said you must be some guy to rope me into a serious relationship."

"Coming from her point of view that's probably a fair assessment." Kurt knew that Sebastian wasn't much for dating during high school; only one of his exes had been from that time as well (and was also the shortest of his attempted relationships, lasting only a week). It made him wonder what Santana really thought about Sebastian's sudden change of heart. Unfortunately, he didn't know enough about the woman to make a real guess.

"Do you think she would have approved of me if we'd had the chance to meet?" Kurt asked, only because he knew she was on a plane back to London. As much as he wanted to learn more about his boyfriend's life, the small taste he'd gotten of Santana Lopez made him wary to meet her.

"It's hard to say, but I think once you two exchanged a few words she'd begin to understand what I see in you," Sebastian answered, though it was a little on the vague side.

Kurt couldn't see why Sebastian wasn't giving much effort with his replies, but then he remembered the show had only happened yesterday. As much as his boyfriend seemed to be fine, it was completely understandable if he were harboring feelings of anger, resentment or disappointment.

This seemed like the perfect time to dish out their desserts. With plates in hand, Kurt walked over to the kitchen and placed one in front of his boyfriend, who thanked him before having his first bite. Kurt attempted to nonchalantly watch for any reactions as he sat down across from him.

"I gotta say Kurt, you sure know your cheesecakes, because this is absolutely delicious." And if that weren't enough to convince Kurt of his sincerity, he then shovelled more of it into his mouth.

"Some people say it's the cure to happiness."

"Someone like you?"

Nothing Sebastian was (or wasn't) doing seemed to suggest he was onto Kurt. His posture was back to its usual relaxed state and he appeared to be quite content with himself at the moment. Maybe Kurt was reading into things too much? "Oh hey, I've been meaning to ask you something, Sebastian." Kurt began casually. _'Please let Sebastian be too distracted to see through my act and call me out on it.'_

All seemed safe so far, so Kurt paused to eat more of his cheesecake, hoping the sugar rush would help somehow. "But seeing how the show is over and all, it's suddenly dawned on me that I still have no idea what the winners receive."

Sebastian raised an eyebrow at Kurt, but that was it. "I guess I never got around to that. You could have just asked me, Kurt."

"I know, which is why I'm asking you now."

"First place gets a full scholarship for studying abroad. There are no prizes for the other placements except getting your name on a plaque." Sebastian looked down at his plate, frowning when he found it empty. "I think it's time for something to wash down all that cheesecake, Kurt, and I happen to have the perfect dessert wine on hand. Wait until you taste it babe; it's heaven on earth."

Kurt hadn't realized the stakes would be that high, until he remembered that Sebastian had gotten special permission to enter the show. A scholarship abroad was quite the prize; no wonder Sebastian had wanted a shot.

_'Wait a second.'_ A sudden thought pulled his attention away from Sebastian's mental well being._ 'So if we had won first place, Sebastian would have gotten a scholarship to go live overseas…'_ He would have been oceans away from Kurt come fall, and no doubt having the time of his life. Images of Sebastian living it up in London, or Spain or some other fabulous place-all while Kurt was miserably missing him back in Chicago-filled his brain, triggering his anxiety.

Anger rose in him. Why hadn't Sebastian told him sooner! Had he just planned to wait until the last possible minute? Kurt impulsively almost asked his boyfriend that very question, but he stopped himself in the knick of time. He did understand some of his reasoning; putting such a strain on their relationship-which hadn't started out too steadily-right at the beginning would have been more than either of them would have wanted to deal with.

The fear of Sebastian suddenly leaving him, and the relief that he wasn't going anywhere washed over him. Thank goodness he'd lost then; it made everything so much simplier. Sebastian was a freshman, he would have (at the very least) two more chances to win the fashion show. Who needed that much pressure when Sebastian was still so young? Who knew what inspirations would strike Sebastian here in Chicago with his loving centre (meaning Kurt) there to help him along.

'_What am I even thinking!' _How dare he put his own happiness above Sebastian's. He had deserved to win; end of story.

During Kurt's inner turmoil, Sebastian had fetched his dessert wine and poured them each a glass. The motion brought Kurt back to his senses just in time for him to flash a smile at Sebastian and accept the offering. He couldn't help but notice how much fuller his boyfriend's glass was compared to his, but that could just be because Kurt still wasn't too much of a drinker.

Kurt saw no reason not to partake, especially if it made it easier to get Sebastian to open up to him. As he took his first sip, Kurt had expected to taste the alcohol more than anything, but the drink went down amazingly smooth. Its rich and fruity bouquet (was that the right term?) was a complete delight; he was beginning to understand why his boyfriend had become such a wine connoisseur.

" Not bad." He licked his lips as he put the glass down for a moment. "Not bad at all, you sure know your wines, Sebastian." Kurt didn't have the heart to call him hotshot right now. _'Time to find a new nickname.'_ But that would have to wait; Kurt wanted to be there for his boyfriend, and help him in whatever way he could. Maybe that would be enough so Kurt didn't feel like he was betraying Sebastian somehow.

"Call it a hobby of mine," replied Sebastian, who was using his flirty voice.

"One of many." Kurt could barely believe Sebastian hadn't picked up on his unease yet; there definitely had to be something going on with him. But just how much wine would they need to drink for Sebastian to fess up? Probably far more than Kurt could tolerate before he lost his inhibitions and forgot his mission all together. And as much as he wanted Sebastian to confide in him, coming home drunk on a school night was out of the question.

"I gotta do something to pass the time in between sex."

Kurt's replied by playfully rolling his eyes.

Sebastian casually sipped at his wine; he was surprised by Kurt's easy acceptance about the show results. _'Guess I've been keeping it from him for nothing,'_ he thought. The decision to wait until the show was over still felt right to him though. And it had made it easier for him to forget about it as well.

But now that he'd only gotten second place, it was harder to keep it from his mind. Kurt's nonchalant reaction wasn't helping either-when it actually should have! There was no reason to keep thinking about it since his boyfriend seemed perfectly fine to let the matter drop. So why the hell was it so impossible to it put aside; ignoring things was supposed to be Sebastian's superpower.

"So what now? I'm new to this whole 'staying in' idea," Sebastian asked.

"I thought we could snuggle together on the couch to watch some TV…" Kurt stood up, placed his hands on Sebastian's shoulders from behind and began softly kissing his neck. "Or we could always talk if nothing good is on."

Sebastian smirked but didn't stop Kurt's attempts to get on his good side. His kisses were more teasing than stimulating and he soon switched to a gentle neck massage. Such subtle manipulation could only mean one of two things: either Kurt had something he wanted to confess or there was something he wanted to find out from him. Sebastian had no idea what Kurt could be potentially keeping from him, but he got the feeling it couldn't be anything too serious or his boyfriend would have been far more forthcoming than this.

He had a better guess at what Kurt might want to know from him, and while he did appreciate the considerate gesture, Sebastian wasn't ready to admit how pissed he was over the show just yet. Maybe once he'd spent an enjoyable evening reclining with Kurt and had a bit more wine he'd be more up to it. At least if he lost control of his emotions he could blame it on the booze, and hopefully get a sympathy make out session out of it to top the night off.

"I have just the thing; I recorded 'The Devil Wears Prada' a few weeks ago and haven't had a chance to watch it yet. Have you seen it, babe?"

Kurt shook his head.

Sebastian, who expected as much, grinned at him. "Then it's about time you did." He led his boyfriend by the hand out of the kitchen, but he didn't head straight to the living room next and went into his bedroom. No matter how good Kurt looked in his suit, it was hardly appropriate couch cuddling attire, so it needed to go.

"I thought we we going to watch a movie?" Kurt asked as Sebastian abandoned him to step into his closet.

"We are," he called, going through his casual clothing. "But not before we get you out of that suit.

"Had enough of how fabulous I look in it, huh?"

Sebastian smirked but didn't bother to give a reply comment. When he returned to Kurt with his clothing selections, his boyfriend was already stripped down to his underwear and waiting for him.

"Here, you can wear this," Sebastian said, handing him the clothes.

Kurt merely nodded and took the shirt first, holding it up to admire it for a moment. It was light grey, had a design of two blue eagles at the front of the shoulders and was by Alexander McQueen. Sebastian had realized early into their relationship that Kurt had a soft spot for the designer, and he wholeheartedly agreed with that choice. Kurt fit the style perfectly, in fact, Sebastian personally thought he would make a perfect model for the brand. Sebastian handed the pants over to Kurt, who had just finished putting on the top and took them once it was fully on.

"Sweatpants? I can't believe you even own any," Kurt remarked with a teasing grin. "I thought they'd go against your fashion code or something."

"Even I know the importance of reclining wear, and the retail value of these sweatpants is nearly a thousand dollars, babe." Of course, Sebastian hadn't spent nearly that much when he'd purchased them; sometimes it was worth scaling online auctions for amazing 'lightly worn' deals.

Kurt whistled. "I'm not sure I want to wear them knowing that. What if I spill something on them?"

"Don't worry, I trust you with them." Sebastian kissed Kurt on the cheek and then patted him affectionately on the arm before heading to the bedroom door. "Now let's go see why the devil wears Prada!"

An hour and forty-nine enjoyable minutes later and Kurt and Sebastian were still huddled together on the couch as the credits began to roll.

"If I weren't already a fan of Meryl Streep, I sure would be now," Kurt announced with a merry smile.

It had been quite entertaining (and sometimes distracting) for Sebastian to watch his boyfriend's many reactions to the film. Even when Sebastian had seen the movie countless times before, doing so with Kurt had made it a whole new experience.

"I knew you'd like it, but how can you not." Sebastian sat up on the couch and stretched a bit to bring feeling back into his stiff muscles. "I believe it still holds the record of being the most expensively costumed film in history."

Before tonight, Sebastian hadn't considered himself much a movie buff, and while he doubted he would suddenly become one now, having Kurt there to with him had made a big difference. He was beginning to see why dinner and a movie was the go to date choice. Maybe it was time for Sebastian to see what all the fuss was about and give it a try. Kurt would probably be up for it too; he doubted he had much time for films back when he was busy being a grade grinder.

Kurt yawned as he reached for his phone off of the coffee table, his eyes widening as soon as they fell upon the screen. "Uh-oh, I didn't realize it had gotten so late." He pulled himself away from Sebastian and got up from the couch. "I should go…"

Frowning, Sebastian checked the time on his TV to see what time it was. "It's only ten after midnight babe, so what's your rush?" He had hoped they would at least make out a bit before parting ways, in fact, he had been seconds away from making his move.

"I know, but it is a school night…" Kurt said. "Can I keep these on? It would save me having to change before I go."

Sebastian couldn't see why Kurt was so keen on going back home, especially when he'd been so heated up about the argument he'd had with his mom. "What are we, high school kids with a curfew? Sleep is just an option when you're in college Kurt, and it's one few people our age bother with."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Except I have one final left at the end of the week, and I know for a fact that you have two of your own to take before the school year is over."

"Oh please, you both know we'll ace them with little or no drama. You told me your last final is your best subject and I'm not the least bit worried about mine." He probably should care more about his final grades, but he didn't feel like acting very responsible right now. What he wanted was to convince his boyfriend to stay and help him forget all about yesterday's shitty show results! He didn't even need them to have sex to make that possible either: Kurt's company was enough, which only made it harder for him to let go.

He was just so annoyed that Kurt would rather be home facing off with his mother than here with him, the person he claimed to love soooo much.

"Well good for you, I on the other hand don't want to risk my chances." replied Kurt, whose snarky tone seemed to imply he thought they were just bantering as usual.

"I don't see why you care so much Kurt, I mean, all you need is a passing grade."

Kurt leaned over the back of the couch to kiss Sebastian's forehead. "That doesn't mean I don't want to give it my best effort still. The better my grades are the better chance I have of transferring to a college I actually like, Sebastian."

There was only one way to change Kurt's mind; it was time to play the sympathy card. "Fine then, leave me all on my lonesome after my crushing loss." To seal the deal, Sebastian gave his boyfriend a dramatic pout, hoping it would tip the scales.

Kurt just took one look at Sebastian's act, placed his hands on his hips and eyed him suspiciously. "You sure seemed to be fine a second ago, just like you have been for most of yesterday and today. So why are you acting so needy now all of a sudden?"

Why was he indeed? Sebastian almost told him it was just an act to get his way, but his heart wasn't into it.

"I've been waiting for you to open up to me Sebastian, but when you didn't I decided not to push you and let you come to me on your own time." Kurt sat down on the couch next to Sebastian, his expression was less teasing now and had shifted to one of slight confusion.

Sebastian sighed deeply; he hadn't planned on any of this, but he supposed he deserved it. "The truth is Kurt…" He glanced up at Kurt and saw his smiling face: it helped, not nearly as much as he needed, but it was a start. "I really wanted to win first place, so much that it's hard for me to accept that I didn't." His hands were cradled in his lap as he leaned over the couch. Kurt didn't make any attempt to console him with physical contact, but Sebastian actually preferred that.

"This wasn't a Paradis Bise creation, it was purely mine, if we had won, it would've been my name that was on the plaque, and I would have been the only one to get a scholarship to study abroad. There would have been no recognition for anyone else, and yet everyone supported my vision. They poured their love and hard work into that one suit." Sebastian stopped to smile, and for one short moment he was able to be happy of that.

"When we lost, Sugar said that _our_ dress should have won." He still remembered the heartbreak in her eyes, and how she truly meant to say our. "But as much as I'd like to keep blaming the audience's stupidity… the real reason we didn't win was my own lack of talent. I'm the one who was so bent on being ground-breaking. Somewhere along the way… I got so wrapped up in my vision I lost control and went completely overboard."

Sebastian looked over at Kurt and saw that there were tears in his eyes. "If it weren't for you, and your amazing performance Kurt, I bet we wouldn't even have gotten second place."

There: he'd finally gone and admitted it. Sebastian had hoped he'd feel better now that the truth was out, but so far, it had only made things worse. He wanted to shut himself off from the world so he could cut off his emotions and act as if nothing were different. Everyone expected him to merely shake the loss off and move onto his next design.

Huddled up on the couch and with his head in his lap, Sebastian cried, for the first time in years, and he had no idea how to stop.

"I dunno what's wrong with me," Sebastian sobbed after a while; he felt so weak and pathetic, if there was a mirror around he doubted he would recognize himself at all.

Kurt inched closer to him on the couch. "I do…" he laid a gentle hand on Sebastian's knee; there was no judgement in his eyes, only understanding. "You failed at something you wanted terribly, and now you're not sure how to get over that loss."

"But this isn't who I am Kurt. I'm suppose to be stronger than this."

"By whose ruling?" Kurt was leaning up against Sebastian's folded body; he scooped up his boyfriend's chin with his hands and smiled at him. "You are who you have always been Sebastian: a man who is full of passion, but who is just as human as the rest of us. So why don't you cut yourself some slack and just… let your feelings out. It's just the two of us. I'm here for you, Sebastian, so please let me help you."

"I thought you were leaving soon?" Sebastian instantly regretted those words, until Kurt just smirked at him playfully.

"I've changed my mind, you clearly need me more than I realized. Staying here with you tonight will be worth the risk of breaking my mother's newly formed trust." Kurt kissed him softly and then placed his hands on Sebastian's shoulders. "Come on, let's get you to bed. If a night spent spooning with me doesn't help you get back to your old cocky self than I don't know what will."

Sebastian allowed himself to be pulled up into a standing position and to be led into the bedroom like a child. He wasn't so sure if his troubles would be so easily solved, but Sebastian was optimistic it would be a good starting point.

As they headed to his bedroom, Sebastian watched Kurt type out a text message to his mom.

_Sorry mom. It turns out Sebastian needs me tonight; he's going through some things. I'll head out to school from his place. _

"You are so much braver than I am, Kurt. When did that even happen?" Sebastian asked as they went to his side of the bed. They still needed to change into something to sleep in, but Sebastian didn't feel the need to point this out. There quickly proved to be no need anyway, as Kurt went over to his dresses and began rooting through the sleepwear he kept in middle drawer.

Kurt rolled his eyes. "I thought it would have been obvious to you." He glanced back mischievously at Sebastian. "It all started the minute that you and I met." Before Sebastian could make any sort of heartfelt reply, Kurt turned his attentions back to the clothes in front of him. "Now what shall we wear tonight hmm?" He held out a pair of black and white cotton checkered pyjama bottoms for Sebastian to inspect. "I think in this instance going with anything blue would be counterproductive, but luckily for us you have plenty of options here."

Smitten beyond believe, Sebastian just chuckled at Kurt and replied, "Whatever you want is fine by me, babe. I trust your judgement." And he meant that, more than Kurt (or himself) could even begin to understand.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

After spending the last few months running from his studies, in a strange turn of events, Kurt was now racing towards them. His efforts weren't that valiant though, because this time he wasn't aiming for top scores, he just want to pass decently. Only a few more days and it would be time to take the last final at a school he didn't even want to be at.

The end of the week couldn't come soon enough.

Kurt had headed off wearing Sebastian's clothes that morning (black skinny jeans, blue dress shirt, and a vibrant botanical print neckerchief), and despite the minimal amount of effort he'd put into the ensemble, he thought he looked quite fetching.

None of his fellow students gave him any compliments, though a few did stare at him as he passed them by in the hallway. He got the feeling people were whispering about his sexual orientation but Kurt no longer cared if everyone on campus suspected if he was gay. He liked the way he looked and loved the way dressing fabulously made him feel.

And today he was feeling particularly loud and proud.

Kurt headed out of his last class as soon it was over. Thanks to his phone call with Sebastian at lunch, he already knew where to head next: the studio. As it turned out, the second place winning design team needed to attend the awards show, and that of course included Kurt, who would be wearing the showpiece for it.

Now that the pressure was off, Kurt was perfectly fine with donning the suit again, and maybe this time he'd remember to get some photos of him wearing it. Kurt was in full spirits as he headed to the bus stop, and his mind was full of ideas to perk up his boyfriend in case Sebastian hadn't fully recovered from his emotional breakdown yesterday night. (He'd sounded fine on the phone, but Kurt wanted to make sure.)

Kurt made it to the studio in good time and when he arrived at the front door he discovered that the lock was open.

"Hey, all," Kurt chimed as he stepped inside. A quick scan of the room located Unique at the bar making tea, Puck bent over the biggest work table, and Sugar hovering over him.

Sugar instantly abandoned her work-and her boyfriend-to rush over and greet him. "Oh, Angel, hi! It's so good to see you!"

"How are things going?" Kurt asked. The awards show wasn't for another three hours, which was more than enough time to get everything done. Although it might take Sebastian that long to choose something to wear.

"Everything's looking good so far; we have the suit together and waiting to be packed up once we're ready to go." Sugar took hold of Kurt's hand and walked him over to the table where Puck was, and just as he had guessed, the showpiece and its many accessories were laid out on it.

Standing in front of the physical proof that proved his moment on the runway hadn't just been some magical dream made Kurt smile. How could Sebastian think that such a beautiful work of art was a failure?

"And here I thought I'd never get to wear it again," Kurt said, smirking.

Sugar looked at him in puzzlement. "You mean Sebastian didn't tell you about the awards show?"

"Oh, he did, _today_, over lunch." Kurt shook his head, albeit affectionately, since it wasn't a huge deal.

Sugar rolled her eyes at that. "That's typical Sebastian for you, he never seems to have to time to fill us in."

"Where is he anyway?" Kurt asked, looking around. "Sebastian usually would have popped up and started barking orders by now." The bathroom door was open a bit and obviously vacant, so that ruled out one possible hiding if he wasn't getting dressed in there then where else in the studio could he be?

Sugar scrunched her pretty face up in annoyance. "I wish I knew! I tried calling him once we got here, but it just went to voicemail." She crossed her arms over her chest. "He won't answer any of my texts either."

"We thought he'd show up with you," Puck muttered with a begrudging frown.

Kurt smiled at them sheepishly. "I sadly have no idea where he is; I assumed he'd just head to the studio with you guys from SAIC."

Assumptions were a risky thing when it came to Sebastian, but their situation wasn't dire yet. Sugar seemed to realize this was well, because she merely nodded in agreement. Despite his tendency to pull unpredictable stunts, Sebastian usually came through in the end, and knowing him, he would probably show up to save the day exactly when _he_ thought the time was right. For all they knew, Sebastian could be going through his wardrobe at his apartment at this very moment, ignoring his phone, and trying on ensemble after ensemble.

It didn't take them very long to pack the suit in a garment bag and put the accessories in a storage tote, so it was little surprise that Sebastian hadn't appeared when they finished. There was plenty of time left though, so no one was showing any signs of panic. Unique made them a fresh pot of tea and placed it on the bar counter along with three steaming mugs.

"This would normally be the moment I would say that Seb's probably off chasing tail," Puck began as he grabbed for his drink. "But he has Kurt now, so there goes that theory." Seeing Puck idly drinking tea (from a purple mug as well) was quite an amusing sight to behold.

Unique joined them on one of the stools and said, "He'll show." She took the largest mug for herself, bringing it to her lips to take a long drink. "This is nothing new for him after all. Sebastian likes to keep people guessing; he's the kind of guy who follows his own agenda instead of the rules."

Kurt sipped at his tea, which was delicious and the perfect temperature, and quietly pondered his boyfriend's possible whereabouts. He couldn't help but wonder if Sebastian was trying to avoid the awards show somehow. If Kurt were in his shoes, having to face the public after narrowly losing first place, he wouldn't be eager to attend the ceremony either. But Kurt was pretty sure that Sebastian wasn't the kind of man to run, even from something he was dreading. Was he?

_'I'm getting nowhere,'_ Kurt though with a mental sigh. Which just proved that no matter how much he learned about Sebastian since they'd started dating, there was still so much he didn't know about the man.

Time seemed to crawl by at a torturously slow pace, and Kurt found it difficult to stay as patient as the others. He kept checking his phone to see if Sebastian had answered the text he'd sent him back when he had started making his way to the studio. But there was no such reply, nor had Sebastian contacted any of them, and so there was nothing to do but sit around and wait.

Only Kurt didn't want to do that at all. "So in the instance that Sebastian doesn't show up, can we go to the awards show without him?" he asked after fifteen minutes passed.

"It won't put Sebastian in a very good light, but yes, we can. As long as we have you with us, Angel, then we're fine," Unique explained.

Another thought suddenly entered Kurt's mind. "I'm curious, how did people react to Sebastian getting special permission to enter the show?" Kurt hadn't bothered to ask his boyfriend for details, and once they'd lost first place he didn't feel it would be tactful for him to do so.

Sugar's smile fell a little. "I'm sure some of the freshman's in the design program weren't too pleased, but I never saw anyone show him any resentment. No one could deny Sebastian's talent either, so it wasn't a huge deal really."

"Until Sebastian made it a huge deal, by his own smug actions," Puck added.

"Only at the start, once the work on the suit began he forgot about everything else," corrected Unique, who looked over at Kurt and smiled. "At least until Kurt came along."

They soon decided they would wait at the studio for another hour before leaving for SAIC to prepare for the awards show. Kurt spent those sixty minutes chatting with Sugar and Unique, playing cards (Puck always kept a deck at the studio), and then trying his best not to show his growing displeasure with Sebastian.

Kurt watched the time change on his phone to the designated hour and stood up. "I think we've waited long enough. It's not like we need Sebastian to get me dressed in the suit after all."

"I'll be happy to help you with that again, Angel," Unique offered, putting away the teapot she had used. 

"What about Kurt's hair though? We're out of feathers and Sebastian scrapped the top hat completely," Puck reminded them; his hands were shoved in his pockets as he pushed himself off of his bar stool.

Sugar brought out her phone and raised it up in her hand. "Leave that to me, I'll give Elliot a call and see if he could drop some off for us. I bet he'll even apply them if he has the time; he's such a sweetheart."

"We should have him do Angel's makeup too if possible," Unique suggested.

"Isn't he a hair stylist though?" Kurt was sure Elliott was capable of putting on makeup of course, since he obviously did his own; he was just asking for curiosity's sake.

"Elliott's a makeup artist too," Unique answered. "He couldn't choose between the two, so he decided to be both."

Kurt watched as Sugar typed Elliott a text message on her phone with her thumbs. He hadn't realized Elliott was so familiar with everyone. The way they were referring to him-with such casual familiarity-made him wonder how they had all gotten to know Elliott. Sebastian sure seemed to be pretty chummy with him when he'd showed up to help out on the day of the show too. _'Elliott has to be at least twenty-five, so I doubt he's going to college anymore.'_ He might have gone to SAIC, but the year numbers didn't add up for him to have gone to school with Unique, Sugar, Puck, or Sebastian.

There was one explanation that Kurt kept thinking of that seemed likely-as much as he might wish otherwise. "Is Elliott one of Sebastian's ex-boyfriends?" Kurt asked a point blank, figuring it was better for him to know one way or the other.

Puck nodded. "I bet Sebastian never bothered to tell you, huh?"

"No, he did not," Kurt confirmed with an annoying frown.

"They were dating when Sugar and I first met Sebastian. I can't remember where they said they met, probably at a gay bar or something. Sugar already knew Elliott though; he's worked for her aunt, and he went to SAIC. His relationship with Seb only lasted about a month though, and they never got really serious or anything. I don't think they've even hooked up since they broke it off either; things just didn't work out for them I guess." Puck shrugged, putting his hand on Kurt's shoulder for a second.

Although surprising, none of this new information had Kurt worried that Sebastian was going to cheat on him with Elliott. He still trusted his boyfriend completely, and Elliott's sweet nature-even when he didn't know the older man that well yet-made it impossible to feel any (serious) jealousy towards him. He was slightly annoyed that Sebastian had kept yet another thing from him, and this time he intended share that displeasure with him the next time they were alone. There were worse ways for Kurt to learn the identities of Sebastian's past boyfriends though, and the fact that the first one he'd met was Elliott, who he already knew, could be seen as an easy break.

"Hi, Elliott! Are you free right now? I have a little favour to ask of you-again," Sugar greeted in her usual bubbly tone.

"Put it on speaker," Kurt whispered to her, and she instantly complied.

"I'm not working at this second, so what can I do for you, Sugar?" Elliott's friendly voice replied.

"There's an award show at SAIC tonight and Angel-I mean Kurt, needs to wear the showpiece again for it. Could you drop by with some more feathers, and show us how to apply them? We could also use some help with his makeup too, if you're up for it."

"Oh, sure, I can do that, no problem. I'm actually on my way there right now," Elliott answered.

Kurt guessed that anyone who had gone to the fashion show could attend the awards show if they wanted to.

"But I'm surprised you didn't ask Sebastian to do the makeup, since he did it before," Elliott said.

"We would have, if we knew where he was," Sugar explained.

"Really?" For some reason Elliott sounded amused. "Why am I not surprised. You know, it wouldn't hurt to keep your friends more informed Sebastian, or else you could lose the the few real ones you have."

"Is Elliot with Sebastian?" Kurt blurted out before he could stop himself.

He heard Elliott chuckle, who had clearly heard him. "Hi, Kurt, yeah he's here, we're both in his convertible driving to SAIC. I want you all to know I had no idea Sebastian hadn't told you were he was!" A few "tsks" followed; he was probably shaking his head hopelessly at Sebastian. "You should be ashamed of yourself! What is your boyfriend going to think…"

What indeed. Kurt didn't want to involve anyone else in his and Sebastian's personal dispute. In spite of his frustration, Kurt decided to look to the bright side: they had located Sebastian, and would be meeting up with him soon.

So Kurt just sighed, assured Elliott that he was fine and let Sugar take over the conversation once more. As soon as the call was done everyone went into motion. Puck (along with Sugar) was going to transport the suit in his car, which was a little on the small side, so Unique had offered to take Kurt with her via taxi (her treat, since she was the one in heels).

Kurt welcomed the company, and Unique knew how to keep him entertained during the trip. She even filled him up on the details of Elliott and Sebastian's short lived relationship, since she had been around then.

"I think their personalities clashed too much for them to make things work. After a while, their physical attraction for each other fizzled out. They were a cute couple, but Sebastian just couldn't connect with Elliott. I honestly think the only reason he didn't break up with Elliott sooner was because he considered him a friend by then," Unique explained during their walk from the parking lot to inside of the main school grounds.

_'I wonder what it was about Elliott that Sebastian didn't like, and how I differ,'_ Kurt thought to himself. Even though he didn't know much about Elliott, Kurt already felt dazzled by him and his many talents, smoking body, full hair, alluring eyes, impeccable fashion, and equally blazing hot looks. Need he go on? The idea that Sebastian had chosen Kurt over someone as amazing as Elliott was hard for Kurt to wrap his head around.

The search for possible answers brought Kurt's thoughts back to when Elliott had come to help them on the day of the fashion show. Sebastian had acted playful with Elliott, but he often flirted with everyone he came in contact with. Elliott had been his usual friendly self in turn, calling Sebastian 'Sebby' but at the time Kurt hadn't thought much of it. From what he could remember, their conduct back then hadn't raised any red flags, hence his surprise to hear that they used to date.

What Kurt really needed was to ask Sebastian about it to hear his side of the story, and he planned to, and hoped it would clear things up. Until then, Kurt wasn't going to worry about it, since there was nothing to fret about as far as he was concerned-at least when it came to a certain handsome hair and makeup artist.

Kurt and Unique headed to where the others were, and ended up stepping into a full blown heated discussion between Puck and Sebastian.

"You fucking tyrant! What the hell were you thinking?" Puck's hands were clenched around the collar of Sebastian's open shirt as he used his full height to power over his smug faced friend. "Would it have killed you send one of us a fucking text!"

"I was waiting to see if Elliott was free or not," Sebastian calmly replied. "Hit me if you want, but leave my shirt out of this, Puck."

P

For one dramatic second, Kurt thought that Puck might actually punch Sebastian in the face, but in the end he just let go of him and pushed himself away. Sugar rushed over to his side, lovingly asking if he was okay, which seemed to help defuse her boyfriend's hot temper.

"I was only gone for a couple of hours. I see now that I should have contacted you sooner though," Sebastian said as he readjusted his shirt collar until it was perfectly back in place.

"You think?" Puck scoffed from his spot across the room. "There better not be a next time or you're gonna have to find yourself a new design team, Smythe."

"Lesson learned and noted for future reference," Sebastian replied, with what seemed to be real sincerity.

The dramatic episode apparently over, Sebastian turned his sights to Kurt, who had been watching apprehensively from the doorway. His boyfriend's expression softened as soon as his and Kurt's eyes met, strutting over-and ignoring Puck's annoyed glare-Sebastian stopped right in front of Kurt and kissed him on the cheek.

"Hi babe, are you regretting your decision to be our model now?" Sebastian asked with a teasing smirk.

Kurt rolled his eyes. "It's going to take more than that to scare me away."

"Glad to hear it, now if everyone feels the same way as Kurt…" He paused to look at Puck, who just sighed, but nodded. "... let's get ready for the awards show, which I always planned to attend by the way." Sebastian grinned at Kurt. "I wouldn't dream missing out on the chance to dress Kurt up in the showpiece this time around."

"Just as long as you keep your mind on the show, Smythe," Puck warned.

Grinning widely, Sebastian saluted him back and said, "Designer's honour."

The awards show went off without a hitch; Kurt stood beside Sebastian as he graciously accepted his award plaque. Once their quick moment on stage was over with, they'd stood for their commemorative photos, and had taken a number themselves. Sebastian had already given Kurt printed copies of the photos he'd taken, and Kurt had plans for the one where he was dressed in the showpiece proudly holding out his boyfriend's runner up plaque.

"So I found out today that Elliott is one of your exes," Kurt said as soon as he and Sebastian piled into his convertible later on that night.

"You did, did you? Well, I'm sorry you heard it from someone else, but that's what I get for not telling you sooner," Sebastian replied.

The fact that Sebastian was owning up to things was a good sign, but Kurt wasn't ready to forgive him just yet. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I was so wrapped up in the show-and my growing love for you-that it slipped my mind I suppose. I honestly forget sometimes that Elliott and I even dated."

"Gee that's encouraging to hear," Kurt with just enough sarcasm to make sure Sebastian knew he was teasing him (mostly).

"I couldn't change into the type of guy Elliott wanted to be with. He may look like some rock glam party animal, but he's a lot more homey, and down to earth."

Kurt asked, "What kind of guy does that make you then?"

"I couldn't begin to guess. Just as I can't say for sure why Elliott and I didn't click as a couple; we just didn't. I guess sometimes the chemistry isn't there, and there's nothing you can do about it. After a month of trying to keep our relationship going, we just decided we were better off as friends." Sebastian looked over at Kurt when they came to a red light. "And that's honestly all he is to me Kurt, just a friend."

"And I believe you. I just wish you would be more forthcoming to me about your personal life." Kurt should have waited until they'd stopped driving before starting the conversation, but it was too late now, and he didn't think he could wait any longer. Nor did he want to carry it out on his front porch, where his mom or dad could appear at any moment to interrupt-or overhear them.

"I'll give it a go, but I can't make any promises," Sebastian said, putting his eyes back on the road. "Because I hate to break them. I'm still getting used the idea that people actually care where I am, what I'm doing and what I do and don't tell them about myself."

The words hit Kurt unexpectedly, as did the emotion in Sebastian's voice, and how much he related to it. He had been alone for so long, part of him didn't believe he wasn't anymore. Was that how Sebastian felt too? Did he still have doubts even now?

"I understand that I think, but you'll never be able to keep any promises if you don't at least make some," Kurt said, smiling in an attempt to lighten the mood at bit.

It seemed to work because Sebastian threw his head back and laughed. "I love how your mind works; you're getting super good with your comebacks too."

The remainder of the drive was far more flirty, which Kurt honestly preferred, and by the end of it, he wished he didn't have to say goodbye for the night.

"You could always spend another night with me," Sebastian pointed out as he got out of the car to escort his boyfriend to the front door.

"I don't think I want to push my luck with my mom, or my dad for that matter."

"I thought you said you were through trying so hard to please them anymore," countered Sebastian, whose cheeky grin (even in profile) told Kurt he was just initiating some last minute playful banter.

Kurt swayed around, turning his back to the door so he could grin at his boyfriend. It didn't help him that Sebastian was still dressed in his suit from the awards show, and looked utterly handsome and suave. Even in the darkness of the night (the porch light really needed to be replaced), Kurt could make out the pale blue of Sebastian's Irish linen suit. He hadn't bothered to wear a tie and had left the first two buttons teasingly open. It had a Great Gatsby feel to it, which was amusing because Sebastian had recently told Kurt he needed to watch the film of the same name the next chance they got. It didn't even matter to Kurt that he'd already seen it, in fact, he'd probably grow to love it after watching it with Sebastian.

"So I was thinking," Sebastian said as Kurt leaned in closer to him. "That you could take the wheel for a quick drive around the block tonight."

In the months that he and Kurt had been dating, Sebastian had never offered to let Kurt drive his convertible before. As far as Kurt knew, he didn't let anyone else drive it, so the fact that he was offering now surprised him. It certainly was a very tempting ploy, that Kurt normally wouldn't have found easy to resist, except for one little detail.

"Wow, I'm honoured, Sebastian," Kurt paused for a moment; he really didn't want to admit this next part. "But um, I actually don't know how to drive… at all." Up until this point, Kurt hadn't been too inconvenienced by that, but seeing Sebastian's cheeky little grin in response made him wish otherwise.

"You can't be serious," Sebastian said in utter disbelief in between chuckling.

Kurt placed his hands on his hips. "Why would I lie to you?"

"So you can politely decline and head inside without offending me?" Sebastian slipped his arm around Kurt's shoulder and gave it a little squeeze.

"I wouldn't stoop that low, Sebastian," tutted Kurt, who tried to resist his boyfriend's grin and failed miserably. He cracked a smile and didn't move out of reach when Sebastian leaned in to give him a peck on the lips.

"Why didn't you bother to get your license then?"

The cool breeze of the night air brushed against Kurt's cheeks, and he tucked a loose strand of hair behind his ears. No one had ever bother to asked him why he didn't drive before. Actually, it was worse than that, no one had shown enough interest in Kurt to even learn that he didn't.

Kurt shrugged, giving his best Sebastian impression, which was good enough to to make his boyfriend smirk back at him.

"I never saw the need; the transit system here is good enough that I can go anywhere I want. It was also cheaper, and getting my learner's permit, and then taking driver's ed felt like such a chore." Just the idea of being in the car with his mom for driving lessons had terrified him, and his dad was never around to ask. The excuse Kurt often told himself was that he was too busy with his first year of college and getting the hang of things.

"I'd be happy to teach you if you're interested in learning now. It does give you more freedom that will come in handy once you start getting modelling jobs," Sebastian said.

Kurt looked back over at the convertible and eyed it warily. "I dunno if I want to learn on a stick shift; it seems unnecessarily tedious to me."

"I can always ask my dad if I can borrow one his automatic cars when I teach you." Sebastian leaned in cup the sides of Kurt's face. "We can make it a fun summer project of ours."

It was a tempting offer, one that Kurt really had no reason to decline. It would be nice to gain a bit more freedom, and quality time with his boyfriend was always a day well spent. Kurt was a little unsure of Sebastian's ability as a driving instructor though. He was a good driver, Kurt had to give him that; and his teaching ability when it came to Kurt's sexual education had been more than satisfactory.

There was just one detail Kurt wasn't sure about. "But what happens if I screw up and crash your dad's car?" Even the slightest nick would probably cost a fortune to repair! All it would take was one slip up and Kurt could be in debt long before he could afford a vehicle of his own.

Sebastian rolled his eyes, doing his own impression of Kurt, who had to admit it was spot on. As if he were offended, he stepped away from the door and turned around to face the driveway where his convertible was parked.

"I doubt it would come to that Kurt, but if you'd rather be a prisoner of public transit for the rest of your life, then have it your way," Sebastian said, mournfully shaking his head to pull off the illusion that he was an emotionally wounded boy facing rejection.

Kurt reached out and grabbed onto Sebastian's arm before he could slip out of reach, using momentum to swing him back around into his arms. Once he was securely captured in Kurt's embrace, Sebastian wasted no time in laying on the charm, and a passionate kips on Kurt's delicious lips.

When the kiss was over, Sebastian's smug smirk was back and bigger than ever before. "You're sure sending me mixed signals tonight, babe."

"I think that last one was pretty clear," countered Kurt, who kissed Sebastian back before he could say anything in reply.

"Learning to drive standard isn't that hard, and if past experiences have shown me anything." Sebastian leaned forward to brush his hand over Kurt's crotch. "I think you'd get the hang of handling a stick shift in no time flat."

Kurt laughed, "I'll think about it." He wondered if Sebastian would ever run out of innuendos one day. He'd certainly said some real zingers over the past few months; some of which had been quite cleverly delivered, and all of them lewd. _'With a mind like his, probably not,' _he thought with a grin.

And as far as Kurt was concerned, there hadn't been nearly enough smut in his life.

Kurt woke early the next morning, keen to squeeze as much studying as possible so he would be free to socialize after class. He ended up getting up so early that neither his mom nor dad seemed to be up yet. Either that or they had already left the house. Kurt decided not to linger long enough to discover the answer. He ate a quick breakfast, shoved his textbooks into his school bag and headed off. When he passed into the living room Kurt saw that the photo he'd strategically left out in the open on the coffee table last night was still there.

He'd left it there in a spur of the moment decision that had felt right at the time and did so now as well. A part of him wished he could stick around long enough to see how his mother would react to it, but knowing his luck, she would just ignore it-or worse-throw it away.

_'Let her then,'_ Kurt thought rebelliously, marching on by without taking it with him. Most parents would appreciate such a gesture, and what mother wouldn't want a photo of her son dressed in a royal purple suit holding a second place plaque with proud superiority?

At least it was a non-confrontational way to rub it in that his 'questionable friends' were award winning material. If Margaret really were to throw the photo away, Kurt could always print himself another copy and display it in his room.

Kurt thought he heard movement coming from upstairs and quickly decided that was his cue to make a break for it. Dashing out of the front door, he noted his mom's car was still there (so she was either home or had taken other means of transportation if she had gone out), but not his dad's and darted down the street towards the bus stop.

_'She might like it,'_ Kurt thought as he walked along; all the trophies or achievements he'd ever gotten were displayed around the house. He remembered all the times Margaret had boasted to her friends about her remarkable son who showed so much _promise_. It hadn't taken Kurt very long to realize that she had only been using him to put herself in a better light, or maybe it had just felt like that to him.

The small strides that had been made between mother and son were still on rocky ground, and if Kurt didn't learn to let go of his resentment it would never get a chance to smooth over.

Kurt spent the morning reviewing notes and quizzing himself. Time seemed to fly by, and before he knew it, he had to head off to his one class of the day. Since he was the first one to arrive in the room (he'd had a free hour before), Kurt took his usual seat towards the back and brought out his day planner. A grin spread across his face when his eyes fell on what was searching for.

Kurt and his friends had taken a number of photos before, during, and after the awards show at SAIC, and Kurt loved them all. But he'd brought along the ones that had been taken by his friends; he still needed to decide which ones he would put up in his room. One in particular was Kurt's absolute favourite, which was why it had the place of honour inside of his photo spot in his day planner (the rest had just been shoved inside). Kurt pulled the photo out so he could admire it more closely.

He and Sebastian were pressed closed together, sensually posing as if they were two models pretending to be a hot couple. The end result was quite convincing, but that was probably because Sebastian had used that exact same description to guide them just before Sugar had taken the shot. Kurt's hand was resting against Sebastian's chest, his lips slightly parted and his lidded eyes downcast. Sebastian's hand cradled the side of Kurt's head, his fingers buried into boyfriend's luscious brown locks, and his left hand was possessively touching Kurt's waist. Looking at it now, Kurt finally saw the image Sebastian had been going for at the time. The two of them looked as if the photo had interrupted them pre kiss and Kurt, who wasn't aware of the interruption, was still leaning in towards Sebastian, whose steady eyes were staring front and centre.

The sexy image had broken seconds after the winning shot had finally been taken when Kurt had started to giggle. Sebastian had ruthlessly teased him about it for the rest of the evening, saying that he better wise up or he would never become a model. Kurt had confidently he stated he had no such worries, mainly because he doubted any of the models he would be paired with would whisper dirty little nothings in his ear like Sebastian had.

The resulting photo was almost worth the teasing he'd been subjected to though. Kurt's attention was so entranced by it that he didn't notice a familiar figure had entered the classroom and was heading his way.

"Hi there Kurt," Blaine said when he was a couple of seats away from him, but he got no response. "Kurt?"

The slightly louder pitch of Blaine's voice finally got Kurt's attention and he looked up to see his classmate standing there. "Oh, hello Blaine, sorry."

Smiling, Blaine waved off Kurt's apology as he took a seat beside him. "I thought those might have been summary notes you were looking at, but it doesn't seem like it now."

"That's what you'd think I would be doing, but I just spent the last hour studying." It never even entered Kurt's mind to hide the photos from Blaine, who was the one person at school he could safely show them to. "The fashion show I agreed to model for was this weekend, and these are photos from the awards ceremony for it that happened yesterday."

"Can I see them?" Blaine asked.

"Sure."

Kurt watched Blaine's face as he shuffled through the photos and stopped to study each one. He wondered if he'd be able to tell when he got to the one of him and Sebastian just by his reaction. But then he realized there wasn't any reason for Blaine to be surprised by the sight of it; he already knew about Sebastian and how he and Kurt were dating. Still, Kurt couldn't help but be curious, and he decided there was nothing wrong with that.

"It's too bad about the show; your entry should have taken first place rather than second," Blaine said out of the blue; his eyes were still on the photo so he didn't see Kurt blink at him in surprise.

"Did Sugar tell you the results?" Kurt didn't think that was likely; the last he heard things were still awkward between them.

Blaine shook his head. "No…she didn't..." A sheepish smile spread across his face. "I actually went to the show and saw it for myself."

"You did?" Kurt blurted out before he could stop himself. He blushed as soon as he closed his mouth, hoping Blaine wouldn't think his outburst was the least bit negative.

But Blaine just grinned back at him, looking as embarrassed as Kurt did, complete with flushed red cheeks. "Yeah, I was curious after hearing about the fashion show from you and Sugar, so I figured I'd check it out."

"You should have sent a text that you were there," Kurt began, but then he suddenly realized that trying to mend the rift between Sugar and Puck on the busiest day of the year for them wasn't the best idea. Nor would Kurt have been in any state for company, and Sebastian sure wouldn't have given the effort to welcome Blaine in a polite and friendly manner.

"I figured you all had enough to focus on without me adding to it," Blaine said. The next photo he came to was of Kurt and Sugar hugging with Puck photo-bombing in behind them. He smiled lightly of the sight of it. "I'm still glad I went though; I got to see some truly amazing works of art, and I got to cast my vote, and even though you guys didn't get first, I don't regret choosing your entry. It was still the clear winner in my mind."

Kurt smirked. "So the fact that you know most of us on the team had nothing to do with it?"

"Not enough to affect my sense of honour. I honestly liked the suit you wore most of all. Sebastian is a really talented designer; there was so much detail, so many accessories and I bet there was even more than what was visible on stage," Blaine said, and his enthusiasm, along with the excitement in his eyes, made it impossible for Kurt not to believe him.

"Oh, you have no idea," Kurt muttered back, sparing him the details (because there was hardly enough time to get through the whole list).

A stream of students started to trickle in, but Kurt just ignored them; there was still at least another ten minutes before class would start, and there was something Kurt was dying to know. _I wonder why Blaine hasn't said anything about my performance yet.'_ Kurt hadn't expected Blaine to start singing his praises or anything, but he still was curious to hear what Blaine's thoughts about his modelling abilities were.

"I can still barely believe I was one of the models wearing one of those incredible creations," Kurt admitted to him.

Blaine conveniently had the photo Sebastian had taken for him out on display. "Well, I know I won't be forgetting your performance for a while Kurt; you had the entire audience-myself included-under your spell from the moment you stepped on stage until the second you left it."

Now that Kurt had his answer (unbelievable as it was), he was content enough to put his mind back on his studies. "It's nice to know I was well received." He'd been too depressed about their loss to even ask about the crowd's recreation to him. Kurt's own memory was choppy: he'd been in such a daze it was hard for him to know one way or another.

Blaine opened his mouth to say something, only to shut it without uttering a word. Kurt followed his eyeline to see what had caught his attention.

It was Sam, who hurried over to claim the free seat in the row directly behind from where he and Blaine were sitting.

"And I thought I was getting here early," Sam said, plopping down in his chair and leaning forward in it. "What are you guys looking at?"

The old Kurt, as in the one who kept his sexual orientation closely under wraps and was prone to panicking, would have dramatically snatched the photos out of Blaine's hand and muttered that they were nothing. But the last few months had made it possible for Kurt to hold his composure (although just barely) and act as if one of the photos wouldn't possibly out him with a single look.

"Oh, well, I'm not sure if Blaine's told you or not." Kurt was pretty sure he hadn't. "But a while back I was asked to be a model by a group of students from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and I ended up saying yes. The fashion show was just this past Saturday, and we placed second." Kurt pointed to the photos in Blaine's hands. "These are the photos my friends and I took after the awards ceremony."

"Cool! Let me have a look at them too," Sam requested.

Blaine paused to glance at Kurt, who nodded, though on the inside he was barely holding in his building anxiety.

"Thanks. I've always secretly wanted to be a model myself, but my folks wouldn't let me try for it. They kept saying it's way more important to see to my education and get good grades so I can get a_ real_ job." Sam began to look at each of the photos as he talked. "I still want to pursue it someday though; maybe once I graduate from college…"

Kurt tried to hide his surprise and mouthed to 'did you know?' to Blaine, who just shook his head in mutual amazement before mouthing back 'I had no idea!' Meanwhile Sam had already gone through three of the six photos; it wouldn't be long before he came across the one of Kurt and Sebastian.

_'It will be all right; Sam is Blaine's best friend after-all.'_ But Kurt was still nervous since he knew so little about the man. He could count the number of times they'd spoken on one hand, and all of them had been in passing. Kurt knew virtually nothing about Sam, except that he seemed to trail around campus with a new girl every week.

"Whoah!" Sam shouted all of a sudden. "Who's the dreamboat guy you're all pressed up with here, Kurt? You both look so hot! I hardly recognize you!"

Blaine looked at Sam with absolute horror.

"What?" Sam asked when he finally noticed. "It's the twenty-first century Blaine; guys can call other guys hot without it being weird." He turned to look at Kurt, who was wide eyed and pale white and trying not to draw attention to himself. "Right?"

'_Why are you even asking me?'_ Kurt thought helplessly. He wanted to run from the room, but that would only make things worse, so he held his ground and simply shrugged in response.

"Is he a model too?" Sam asked.

Kurt tilted his head to the side. "Who?"

"The other guy in the photo."

"Oh right! Um no, he's not a model, that's Sebastian; he's the one who designed the suit I'm wearing in the photo." Kurt stopped to take a quick breather; he needed to calm down before he ended up triggering a very badly-timed panic attack. Sam wasn't doing anything wrong, if anything his reaction (or lack thereof) to seeing Kurt in an obviously sexually-charged photo with another man was quite positive. That still didn't mean Kurt could bring himself to admit the full nature of his and Sebastian's relationship yet.

He wanted to be brave, he didn't want to be in the closet anymore, but wanting something and actually doing it were two different things.

"I thought he might be your boyfriend or something," Sam said, handing the photos back to Kurt.

This was it; Kurt's moment of truth. He had two options here: he could tell the truth and hope for the best, or he could lie and feel guilty about it for who knew how long. Kurt doubted he'd get many more chances to come out when his days at school were numbered.

_'What would Sebastian do?'_ Kurt asked himself, and as if by magic, he could practically hear his boyfriend's cocky response as if he were actually there to say it himself. 'Why of course he is, Sam, I would have thought that photo would have spoken for itself. You can't fabricate chemistry like that; this my good man is the real deal.'

There was no hope in hell that Kurt could say anything like that, but maybe he could manage his own version.

"Oh, well he is." There he'd said it, Kurt had just confirmed what he'd always worried everyone on campus must have suspected about him all along. "Sebastian wanted to take a sexy shot together and that photo is the end result."

Sam's eyes widened and he yelled, "I knew it!" He cuffed Blaine on the shoulder with what seemed to be smug pride. "I told you Kurt had to be gay, Blaine!"

As soon as the words gay escaped Sam's lusciously full lips, the entire classroom went dead silent. Heads turned to look over to where the three of them sat and all eyes were soon staring straight at Kurt, who looked like a dead caught in the headlights.

'_No,'_ Kurt's mind whispered to him in disbelief. _'This cannot be happening to me. Please tell me my one of my worst fears did not just come true.'_ But there was no denying it; Kurt Hummel had just been officially outed and judging by all the whispering and clicks from text messages going on, the news would spread around campus in a matter of minutes. Kurt had to do something, he couldn't just keep sitting there with his mouth hanging open.

"I don't remember you ever saying anything like that to me, Sam," Blaine said finally, no doubt in a heroic attempt to lighten the mood. He turned to Kurt and added, "Sorry about all this."

"I'm sorry too, I should know better to keep my mouth shut," Sam apologized.

Kurt had no other choice (well none that he wanted to consider) but to ignore the other people in the room as best he could. Sam and Blaine's kind faces which were full of support made it easier for Kurt to accomplish the daunting task though. "It's all right. I mean, you are right; I am gay, so there's nothing to be sorry about."

More clicking followed, along with a few gasps from people, and Kurt had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. The student body really must be starved for gossip if they were reacting this badly to his coming out, especially when he was a literal nobody who people normally paid no attention to at all.

It was actually rather frustrating when Kurt stopped to think about it, but he didn't get much more of a chance to, because the professor finally made their entrance, and called everyone to attention.

"Are you sure you're okay? I just outed you, didn't I? I'm sorry," Sam whispered to Kurt a short while later.

Touched by his concern, Kurt smiled at him, nodded, and when that didn't seem to be convincing enough, he replied, "No harm done."

Sebastian was beginning to wonder if Kurt would get a chance to officially come out at his school before he lost his chance to, or if he would leave it for good with people still wondering which team he played for. If it were him, Sebastian would have wanted his sexual orientation to be revealed, just to get it over with, but he wasn't going to judge Kurt for keeping tight-lipped on the matter. He might tease him him about now and then, for the sake of playfulness, and hope Kurt would catch onto his subtle hints at the same time. So far nothing of the sort had taken place, so when Kurt called him after class to tell him how Sam had accidently outed him, it came as a complete surprise.

The pride he felt after hearing how Kurt had simply adapted to the awkward situation was also substantial.

"This calls for a celebration babe. You're still coming to the Atelier as planned right?" Sebastian asked once Kurt had finished retelling his story.

Kurt paused for a moment before he replied, "Yes… only now I'm not sure I want to, with how devious your voice sounds…"

"Relax, I'm not going to do anything crazy. I'm just excited for you and want to share my joy with you and the whole gang."

"All right… I'll see you shortly. I just need to make a quick stop at home to drop off my books and then I'll head over," Kurt said, though he was obviously still suspicious, and with good reason.

"Until then, babe," Sebastian cooed, and when the call was over he quickly sprung into action. There wasn't much time to put everything together, but Sebastian operated best under pressure so he wasn't worried.

What he really needed was a second pair of hands, and as luck would have it, Sebastian caught sight of someone he knew he could rope into helping him out. Sebastian shoved his hands into his pockets and, in total stealth mode, made his way over to the unsuspecting individual. Sebastian slipped through the crowd, leaned against a nearby wall, and patiently waited for his target.

"Hey there, Noah," Sebastian said exactly when Puck passed him by.

Puck stopped in his tracks and sighed. "What do you want, Smythe?"

"Can't I say hello to you without having a hidden agenda?"

"Not from my experience." Puck moved out of the ongoing foot traffic and eyed Sebastian warily.

"I was hoping you could help me with something," Sebastian began, laying on the charm.

Uneffected by Sebastian's twinkling eyes, Puck crossed his arms over his chest. "The fashion show's over Seb, you can't order us around to do your grunt work anymore."

"But we're still friends aren't we? And isn't doing favours something friends do for each other?" Puck just continued to glare at him and Sebastian let out a mournful sigh; so much for having any fun with his request. "It's for Kurt."

That seemed to be the magic word, because it didn't take Sebastian much more convincing to get Puck on board. The location they needed to go to also helped, a little too well, because it was hard to get Puck to leave once they had made all of their purchases. Sebastian was happy to discover they made it to the Atelier before Kurt, and better still, Sugar and Unique were there and quickly agreed to put his plan into action.

Sebastian was just setting up the finish touches by the light of his phone (they'd shut the lights off in preparation) when he heard the door open. "Okay ready guys. It's show time," he whispered to the others, who were all in their own assigned hiding spots.

From his viewpoint behind the bar, Sebastian watched Kurt walk through the front door and immediately stop in his tracks.

"Why am I not surprised," Kurt muttered to the darkened and seemingly empty studio.

"Just play along!" Sebastian shouted to his boyfriend, who he imagined was rolling his eyes about now.

"Hello, is anyone there?" Kurt called in an obviously fake voice, but at least he was willing to humour them at all. He closed the door behind him, thrusting the room back into darkness, and walked around in theatrical confusion.

Despite Kurt's mockery of a performance, Sebastian still slinked his way over to the light switch and flipped it on.

"Surprise!" Sugar shouted, popping out from under the table. Unique followed her a moment later, and eventually Puck, whose 'surprise' was utterly pathetic.

In a truly overdramatic display, Kurt gasped and brought his hands to his mouth. "For me?" He looked over at Sebastian (could his eyes be any wider?) and added, "_You shouldn't have_!"

Sebastian smirked. "Oh, but you're so worth it, babe, so try to enjoy the festivities we've so lovingly put together for you." He came over to offer his boyfriend a hug and a kiss on his cheek. "Welcome to the out and proud side."

At first Kurt began to mutter his thanks, but when he finally looked away from Sebastian to see the decorations hung around the studio, he went silent. This was the real pay off; a vast array of emotions washed over Kurt's adorable face: amusement, surprise, embarrassment, bewilderment and then, to top it off, he broke down laughing.

"Oh, my god, Sebastian! What even is all this?" Kurt asked, doubling over again.

"It's your coming out party," Sebastian answered matter-of-factly.

A quick stop to the local sex store had made it possible for Sebastian and his friends to decorate the studio with penis shaped balloons (blown by Puck, which had been hilarious), streamers with matching cock decour, and a regular g-rated cake (Unique had refused to get a novelty one) with the words 'Happy Coming Out, Kurt!' in hot pink frosting. Puck was wearing a hat with a penis on top (forced upon him by Sugar, who had a matching one on), and Sebastian had broken out the tie he'd hand painted an erect cock on one night (for shock value). That just left Unique, who had claimed the gaudy pink beaded necklace with a sparkly penis dangling from it as her own.

It was the gayest party Sebastian had ever attended, and that was saying something, because he'd gone to his share of queer affairs over the last few years.

"You're ridiculous! All of you!" Kurt declared when he'd finished scanning the room.

Sebastian just gave his boyfriend his best smile and put the remaining penis hat on top of his head. "Just give in and embrace it; you'll enjoy yourself much more that way." He didn't know how it was possible, but somehow Kurt looked good even when he was wearing a novel hat sporting male genitalia! Was there no look Kurt couldn't pull off; they really needed to have that photo shoot they'd talk about before so he could test the theory more.

"Don't look at us! We just went along with Sebby, but I gotta admit this is pretty fun!" Sugar said in her defense, snapping a selfie of herself and Puck.

"Oh, what the hell!" Kurt exclaimed. "Let's get this coming out party started!"

_

A little later on everyone was sitting around the main table enjoying their pieces of cake, which was so delicious Kurt was already on his second! The night had sure been an unexpected-but extremely fun-turn of events for him. When he'd headed to the studio after class Kurt had expected Sebastian would offer a few cheers and maybe toast to his name, but nothing much more.

They'd turned on the music and danced for hours, and with the help of a little alcohol, things got really amusing as time went on. Puck had actually grinded with Kurt, which had drove Sebastian wild and he'd taken numerous photos of the event (most likely as payback for not being allowed to join it). Kurt had gotten a lap dance from Sugar, until he'd fallen out of his chair when she'd gotten a little too enthusiastic with her sexy gyrations.

But the best part of the night had to be when Unique sang them a lively rendition of 'Born This Way' by Lady Gaga, complete with Puck and Sebastian as her male backup dancers. It had been hard for Kurt to hold a straight face when Sebastian did everything in his power to make him crack, but Unique's stunning voice had made it possible.

Kurt thought it was fitting that the first time someone had thrown him a party (aside from his parents for his birthday) it was for his 'Coming Out Party.' If he'd known this was the sort of response he would get he might not have waited so long to officially come out!

"Thanks for throwing me such a great party," Kurt said.

"Thanks for going along with it," Sebastian replied with a wink.

"I hope I'm not keeping you from anything though, like studying for exams… or…" Kurt wasn't sure how much they hung out at the studio when there wasn't the showpiece to work on. He did remember that Sebastian told him they wanted to keep working together once the show was over. "Designing new things for you to make."

Sebastian made a snort of derision. "Please, have you forgotten who you're talking about, Kurt?" He rose from his chair, strolling over to the bar where the sketch book he used for his designs was placed. "Have a look at these babies and tell me what you think," he announced, placing the book in front of Kurt to inspect.

Curiosity got the better of Kurt, who put his fork down so he could check out what kind of outfits his boyfriend had created. _'When did he even make these,'_ Kurt thought as he opened up the book, which wasn't the same one that held the fashion showpiece designs. The first page turned out to be a design of a dress, or rather, a gown, because there was no way anyone could wear something so fancy everyday. It was floor length, had ruffles trailing down the back, and off of the shoulders as well.

"Ooh, it's so pretty!" Sugar gushed from behind Kurt.

"More like pretty damn crazy if you ask me. Who the hell would wear something like this?" demanded Puck.

Kurt decided to see what the next page held and whether it was equally fanciful, and he quickly discovered it was. The suit Sebastian had drawn had an intricate pattern on the fabric, and the shape of it was done up in a overly defined hourglass shape. The next design wasn't much better, it being yet another over the top dress that looked to be covered in shimmering sequins. There was no denying each of them were stunning, and Kurt could picture them on an elite runway fashion show, but not on worn the streets of Chicago.

"How many outfits are there?" Kurt asked.

"Ten in all, I was in the zone last night." Sebastian flipped ahead to the final design and tapped on the paper. "I'm particularly fond of this one; I designed it with you in mind, babe."

This time instead of a simple black and white sketch, Sebastian had done a full colour design, and it was absolutely stunning. It quickly became clear which design his boyfriend had spent more of his time on. The suit was three pieces; consisting of a pair of slim fit pants, blazer jacket and waistcoat, along with the typical dress shirt underneath. But what immediately caught Kurt's eye was the pattern on the jacket. Purple butterflies in different stages of flight were drawn across the top shoulders, as if one had been photographed over a dozens of times as it flew. The suit, waistcoat and pants were dark navy in colour and went perfectly with the purple of the butterflies. More of them were decorated across the bottom of the suit, and the sleeves as well. Smaller sketches at the side of the page showed the butterfly shaped cufflinks, and the embroidered one on the dress shirt's front pocket. Instead of a tie, there was a mauve ascot that tucked into the waistcoat.

"Oh Sebastian, it's beautiful," Kurt breathed in awe. He couldn't wait to wear it!

"I thought you'd like it, I'm going to make it for you as soon as the semester's over," Sebastian said, running his hand down the small of Kurt's back.

"How are you going to do the butterflies? With silk screening?" Unique asked.

Sebastian grinned. "I thought I would hand paint them, to give it an extra personal flare."

Just the image of Sebastian painstakingly painting each butterfly by hand (there had to at least be two dozen on the suit!) filled Kurt's heart with warmth that soon spread to his cheeks. How long would it even take him to finish the entire thing? Weeks? Months? A part of him was worried that Sebastian should be focusing on other things, such as clothes he could sell, rather than on spoiling him. And yet another part of him, the part that desperately wanted to put on the suit, told him that Sebastian could make whatever he wanted. If spoiling Kurt made Sebastian happy, then who was he to protest about it?

"What ever happened to you wanting to design clothes that we could make and sell under the Paradis Bise brand, Seb?" Puck pointed out.

"I haven't forgotten about that; there's plenty of time for us to create sellable clothes for the brand. What's the harm in indulging a little to make something pretty for my boyfriend?"

Puck shovelled more cake into his mouth. "Have it your way then, but don't whine to me when the summer's over and you've gotten nothing done." When his plate was empty he stood up from the table and grabbed his leather jacket off of the table. "Anyway, I'm all partied out. I'm going to go practice my music for a while."

"Oh, no don't go, Noah," Sugar cried out, rushing over to grab his arm and pout at him. "Won't you stay a bit longer?"

Puck smiled warmly at Sugar and pecked her on the lips. "Feel free to head over to my place when you're done here." He turned around and waved at the group before making his departure.

Sugar came back to the others. "He's okay, he just takes his music very seriously."

The party started to wind down after that and everyone decided to go their separate ways about an hour later. Kurt accepted a ride home from Sebastian, and chatted about when their next date should be and where they should go. By the time the couple made it to Kurt's driveway, they had decided to hold off on any sleepovers or major dates until the weekend.

"It's really for the best, as much as I hate to admit it," Kurt said as Sebastian shut the engine off to walk him to his front door.

"I suppose talking on the phone and seeing each other for super short socials after class will have to do for now," Sebastian agreed.

"It's only for three days, so I'm sure we'll survive." They leaned in for a long goodbye kiss and Kurt found it quite difficult to tear himself out of Sebastian's arm at the end of it.

He would have left at this point, there was something tugging at his mind that he couldn't forget about. "You know, there's no reason that you can't save making my suit for later. You said it yourself, there is plenty of time, so maybe you should wait until you've made a few pieces for sale."

Sebastian tilted his head to the side. "Where is this coming from all of a sudden? I thought you couldn't wait to wear it?"

"I can't but-" Kurt's words were cut short when Sebastian placed his finger over his lips, kissing him before he could complain.

"Making that suit for you will make me happy; isn't that enough?" Sebastian challenged.

It was no use, Kurt knew he could never win this argument, especially when he didn't even want to. So he bid his stubborn boyfriend goodnight and stepped inside his house after they'd spent an enjoyable five minutes making out. With a sigh, Kurt willed himself to put his mind back on his school work so he could still get in a little studying.

"Just three more days and then I'll be free," Kurt muttered to himself.

There was no sign of anyone in the house, which made Kurt frown; were his parents avoiding him on purpose? Or was this normal behaviour for them? He'd spent so long not caring about where his folks were that he hadn't actually paid attention in years. Kurt glanced at the time on his phone, it's was just past eleven-thirty so not super late, but late enough that his mom and dad could have gone to bed.

Kurt was going to go up to his room when he remembered about the photo. Would it still be where he left it or would it have mysteriously _disappeared?_ He neared the table apprehensively, and when he didn't see it there his heart fell. _'Just because it's gone doesn't mean she's thrown it away,'_ Kurt reminded himself, and he began to scan the room for it.

It didn't take him very long to find it.

There, hung over the mantle in the place of honour, was the photo in a very expensive looking wooden frame with a dark finish. Kurt could barely believe his eyes! His mother had not only accepted the photo-that her son hadn't even given to her in person-she had displayed it proudly in the house where everyone would see it.

As soon as Kurt got his first modelling job, he was going to buy his mom a gift. He'd never really seen his mother wearing anything truly frivolous before (just a bit of moderate jewelry), so it was high time she learned just how good wearing something pretty could make her feel.

Sebastian would know what to get her, and knowing what his boyfriend was like when they went shopping, it would be quite an entertaining quest.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

The next three days were absolute torture for Kurt. It was bad enough that he had to endure being the centre of his school's hottest gossip, but he also didn't have any fun-filled dates with Sebastian to look forward to in the evenings. He still saw his boyfriend of course, usually for a coffee once class was over, but those meetings just never felt long enough.

But Kurt tried to survive as best he could, ignoring the stares and whispers so he could focus on his last exam. Which he ended up passing, with flying colours actually, and before Kurt knew it, he had reached his last day on campus. Kurt felt no urge to stick around for the official end of the semester now and wild horses couldn't drag him back.

Kurt had hoped to make a quiet exit, but unfortunately someone did end up locating him before he'd made his escape.

"Kurt! Hold up!" a voice shouted from the end of the hall.

He knew he should have worn something more demure to blend in better, but he wanted to mark his last day with an especially phenomenal ensemble (courtesy of Sebastian, who had lent him one of his finest hand crafted suits).

But when Kurt realized it was Blaine, he slowed his hurried steps and turned to greet him with a smile. "Hi, Blaine," Kurt said when the shorter man caught up with him.

"I'm glad I caught you before you'd left." Blaine walked alongside Kurt as he continued down the hallway. "I figured today would be your last day here..."

"It is," Kurt answered truthfully. "It's funny how people have been so caught up with my recently revealed sexual orientation that they haven't caught wind of my departure."

Blaine just nodded. "I've made sure not to tell anyone, so I'm glad it's kept under wraps." He glanced around to make sure no one was paying attention to them. "Do you have a minute? There's something I wanted to talk to you about before you left." He tensed when three students passed them by. "Somewhere private."

Kurt had no idea what Blaine wanted to discuss, but he saw no reason to decline, and luckily for them, he knew exactly where they could go. It felt satisfying for Kurt to be able to put a year's worth of avoiding everyone to good use for once. "Come on," Kurt said, urging Blaine to follow him. "I know just the place."

A short walk brought the pair to the edge of campus and quiet little spot Kurt had discovered three months into his freshman year. It was an inconspicuous looking patch of grass that held a couple of trees and an old worn out park bench. With so many prettier locations around for people to choose, it was often ignored, which had suited Kurt perfectly. He'd spent many hours studying and shutting himself from the outside world. It seemed fitting to him to share it with someone else, though Kurt couldn't see Blaine needing to escape like he often did.

Kurt took a seat and waited for Blaine to join him on the bench; as soon as he did he began to nervously twiddled his fingers.

"I just wanted to thank you..." Blaine began, but whatever he planned to say next didn't seem to come easily for him.

"For what?"

Blaine took a deep breath. "You probably haven't been aware, but I've been watching your transformation over the past few months." He blushed as soon as the words left his lips. "Politely and from afar and not in a creepy way at all." Kurt's little grin seemed to make it easier for him to recover from his embarrassment. "Seeing how you were slowly becoming the person you've always been but who finally didn't want to hide anymore really struck a personal chord with me." It took him a moment to look over Kurt's way. "I know everyone thinks I'm just this happy carefree guy, and on some level I am… but there's always been a part of me I've kept well-hidden, and as time went on, it was becoming harder for me to repress."

Utterly captivated by Blaine's confession, Kurt gave him his full attention, watching as Blaine pushed himself to finish.

"Seeing you become self confident, even just at school, has been helping me be braver Kurt, bit by bit."

Kurt couldn't help it, he had to know if what he thought Blaine was about to confess was right, or just some outlandish theory. "You mean you're…" he couldn't say it, because what if he were wrong?

"Gay?" Blaine offered, chuckling lightly. "Yeah… I am… I've known for a while now but it's taken me the last couple years to fully come and accept it. And even though I finally have, the idea of telling anyone terrified me." He rubbed the back of his neck and let out a mocking laugh. "It got to the point where I kept telling myself it wasn't important. I'd never have the time to date anyway, so why bother coming out yet."

"Would it surprise you to know that I used to feel the exact same way," Kurt admitted.

"It does…" Blaine smiled. "I'm not ready to come out to my parents yet, but after seeing you face your fears and accept the situation you were in when Sam accidentally outed you, makes me believe I'll be able to follow suit a lot sooner than I originally thought. I want to stop living a lie, and hope that the fact that I like men doesn't need to be such a big deal."

"I wish I could say it won't; you'll probably be the talk of the school for a while whenever you do come out. I find it helps if you don't make a big deal about it yourself, and don't deny it either." Kurt smiled sheepishly. "Of course, don't do anything on my account; it's up to you in the end."

'_Life sure had a way of surprising me, but in the most ironic way possible,'_ Kurt thought to himself. Blaine had just come out to Kurt, who used to have a serious crush on him and had secretly dreamed of this exact scenario happening. Of course Blaine hadn't confessed his undying love for Kurt, and even if Blaine did have some sort of romantic feelings, he knew better than to voice them. Not that Kurt had any reason to believe Blaine did have such feelings, and he wasn't going to dwell on the possibility; the last thing he wanted was for things to become awkward between them.

The fact that he was with Sebastian did make it easier for Kurt to wrap his head around the idea and not show any dramatic reaction to the news. He was surprised of course (who wouldn't be!), but he was more curious than anything else.

"So no one else knows then? Not even Sugar and Puck?" Kurt asked, hoping the question wasn't too personal.

Blaine shook his head. "No… they have no clue, as far as I know, but it is the reason why we had a falling out. I eventually realized that I was attracted to Puck… and the idea really freaked me out and made it really difficult for me to be around him, because he was obviously straight, and I thought Sugar possibly liked me. I'm not proud of it, but I was so afraid and confused that I ran away, and stopped hanging out with them all together." The sadness in his eyes was so painfully obvious it made Kurt's heart ache. "And by the time I thought maybe I could make amends with them, I found out that Sugar and Puck had gotten together and seemed to be happier… without me."

What Blaine must have gone through back then; having no one to turn to through what had to have been his biggest emotional struggle, all in the mists of him coming to terms with his sexual identity too, must have been horrible.

"So I decided it was better for all of us if we just went our separate ways, but I see now that was wrong of me," Blaine said.

"It's not too late to reach out to them, Blaine," Kurt replied, smiling. "I can tell they miss you. I think if you were to tell them what you just told me it would help the healing process."

Fear flashed across Blaine's face. "You don't think Puck would feel uncomfortable around me?"

"Not at all. He's a very open minded guy, and while he'll probably be surprised, I doubt he'd feel offended. It's not like we can choose who we form feelings for, despite what some people may think," Kurt offered.

"I don't think of him that way anymore of course," Blaine said.

Kurt wasn't sure what he could say in reply, so he just widened his smile and patted Blaine lightly on the arm. "Thank you for telling me all this Blaine, I'll keep it to myself of course, and you can always contact me if you need someone to talk to."

"That means a lot to me. Thank you, Kurt."

As much as Kurt wanted to stick around and be there for Blaine, he had a meeting with Shelby in a short while.

"I won't keep you any longer," said Blaine, who seemed to sense that Kurt needed to leave. He watched as Kurt nodded and rose from the bench. "Oh, there's one last thing…" he quickly added, standing himself. "It's kind of embarrassing to admit, but Sebastian already knows I'm gay, so you don't need to keep it from him."

Kurt felt like the earth had been pulled out from him and he stumbled over the bench and took a seat. "I'd accuse you of making some sort of joke but I know you wouldn't…" His mind was whirling wild with ideas; sensual images of Blaine and Sebastian filled his stunned mind. Because how else would Sebastian know Blaine's hidden sexuality unless he'd had some sort of hands on experience. "Did you two…"

"I met him one night the summer before my freshman year of college; I went to a gay club and Sebastian hit on me… and one thing led to another… and he ended up giving me a blow job in one of the club's bathroom stalls." Blaine saw Kurt's eyes widen, and he quickly added, "I ran out before anything else could happen though."

The fact that they hadn't had full on sex made it easier for Kurt's brain to calm down. But even if they had, it wouldn't have changed anything, because it would have happened before Kurt had met either Blaine or Sebastian. But it was still a shocking revelation, and a crazy coincidence that Sebastian probably found amusing; no wonder he'd been smirking when he told Kurt about his meeting with Blaine at the hospital.

"Well Sebastian's proved he can keep a secret at least, because I had no idea whatsoever," Kurt assured, remaining seated as he waited for his head to fully clear.

"He told me outing wasn't his style and I believed him at the time and I still do now." Blaine let out an awkward laugh. "Which means it's up to me to approach Puck and Sugar and tell them the truth, no matter how embarrassing it might be."

"I don't envy you there at all, but if my life has shown me anything, any embarrassment you may go through is often worth it in the end."

Kurt was running out of insightful things to say, and time to remain with Blaine, but he didn't want to abandon his friend when he was in such a vulnerable state. He wished Sebastian were here, for about a second, before he realized that probably wouldn't go so well. Knowing him, he'd give Blaine some snarky advice or maybe suggest they all go out clubbing together; that last scenario didn't sound too bad. Maybe if Blaine did reconcile with Sugar and Puck they could make a group outing; Unique would instantly agree to it he knew.

But any such excursions would have to wait; Kurt had a meeting to attend, and a boyfriend to (privately) discuss this new turn of events with.

"I hate to leave you, but I need to head off," Kurt reluctantly admitted, smiling in apology.

"Oh no, you've already done enough, Kurt!"

They said their goodbyes and Kurt headed off to the bus stop with a lot more on his mind that he'd started out with. He wondered if he'd ever reach a point in his life where it would stop throwing him so many curve balls. Though in all honestly, after how boring Kurt's life had once been, he supposed this was the universe's way of making up for lost time.

Kurt's next stop was at home so he could quickly drop off his books; that had been his plan anyway, but once again he was met with a surprising situation. Things had started out normally enough: he'd stepped inside the front door and dashed up to his room to toss his bookbag on his bed. But after his descent from the stairs, Kurt's rumbling stomach urged him to make a detour through the kitchen, which is when he discovered that his mom was home, and she wasn't alone. Two women who Kurt had never seen before were seated at the table next to Margaret. There were plenty of his mom's friends that he had never met, but the way that all three of them stopped chatting upon his arrival made him a little suspicious.

"Oh, there you are, Kurt, we were just talking about you," his mom said, smiling at him.

"You were?" Kurt replied, unable to hide his surprise. _'Why?'_ He couldn't why see a group of middle aged woman would find him the least bit interesting.

"Kurt, these are two of my friends, Cindy and Teresa, and this, as I'm sure you both have guessed, is my young son Kurt, home after a day at college," Margaret explained to everyone.

It was hard for Kurt to remain polite when he was so flabbergasted by the scene before him. He couldn't remember the last time she'd had friends over (for what appeared to be tea, going by the steaming mugs in front of them), and when she had, Kurt had known to steer clear. And yet here she was, practically begging him with her beaming eyes to join them.

"It's nice to meet you both," Kurt said, nodding in acknowledgement, and the two ladies did the same to him.

"He's just as handsome in person," commented Teresa, who seemed to have no trouble admitting this to her friend's son who she had just met. "Margaret showed us the photo of you from the fashion show."

Was that why his mom had put the photo there? So she could show it (or rather, Kurt) off to people and somehow take credit for her son's achievement (or his good looks perhaps). Kurt was able to hide the annoyance he felt if that was the case behind his smile, and he thought Sebastian would be proud of his efforts.

"I wish I could stay…" Man that was a lie. "But I'm afraid I have a meeting to attend." Kurt didn't bother to add that it was with the head of a modelling agency.

"Oh that's right, you're meeting with Miss Corcoran today, right?" Margaret replied after she finished taking a drink of her tea.

Kurt was surprised she remembered, and that made it easier to toss his petty resentment aside. She was allowed to feel proud of her son after all, it would just take some getting used to.

"Yes, she's landed my first modelling job for me. I'm really excited," Kurt said in attempts to make up for his immature thoughts.

"Kurt's has been signed on with Treetop Designs, which is a up and coming modelling company," Margaret told her friends, who had matching happy smiles on (just what was in their tea?). "We won't keep you then; do you think you'll be home for dinner tonight? Your father will be home and three of us have spent so little time together over the past few weeks."

"Um…" Kurt said awkwardly. "I do have a date planned for tonight." He and Sebastian had been looking forward to it for weeks, but he doubted his mom would take him being sex-crazed and missing his boyfriend as a believable (or appropriate) excuse. "But I'm sure Sebastian would be fine if we postponed it to the evening." Kurt suddenly realized he'd used his boyfriend's name (which wasn't remotely feminine) and thus revealed his homosexuality to his mom's friends. But to Kurt's inner relief neither Teresa nor Cindy showed any reaction to the news; his mom must have told them already then. Kurt didn't mind her doing so if that were the case-though it would probably good to talk to his parents just to let them know it was okay for them to tell people.

Happy to escape an awkward situation for once, Kurt bid the ladies a fond farewell so he could head off to TreeTop Designs. Kurt's meeting with Shelby went along swimmingly, and there were no twist turning surprises there, only amazed delight at learning what his first modelling job would be. Kurt had been hired by none other than the Atrium Mall's ad department. He was going to be dressed as young shopper who was in need of formal wear. Though hardly front page magazine material, Kurt agreed that it was a great first step and he instantly had agreed to it.

Just the thought of an ad with him being circulated in one of the malls in the Loop made Kurt feel giddy with excitement-and a little anxious as well-would people recognize him? It was a good thing that the only reactions he cared about were his friends, who would be ecstatic, and perhaps his parents, who would be happy for him.

Sebastian would probably demand to take a photo with the ad the second it went up in the mall.

The job would happen in two weeks, and Kurt was already finding it hard to remain patient. Hopefully with him no longer going to school, he'd pick up even more jobs, and maybe he'd even get one that would happen sooner to help him through the wait. If not, Kurt was sure he'd find something to pass the time, even if he'd be on his own during the weekday afternoons. SAIC students still had another two weeks of class before their own semester was over.

Kurt now just needed to call up Sebastian and explain that their dinner and a movie date would need to either just be a movie, or they could skip the film portion all together and head right to his apartment. He knew which of the two he'd prefer, and he was quite sure Sebastian would agree, but he'd still ask just for amusement's sake.

"Hi there, foxy," Kurt said when Sebastian picked up the call; he'd been thinking of good nicknames to try and decided to give one a shot.

"Is that you, Kurt? It says so on my phone, but you've never called me foxy before," Sebastian replied.

Maybe it would be better to forgo with the nicknames until he found the right one. "Yes it's me. Look, I won't be able to go out to dinner with you tonight…"

"Is it because I made fun of you calling me foxy, because I actually kind of like it as a pet name, proving you can call me it in person and keep a straight face."

Kurt chuckled, "No, but noted. My mom strongly hinted that she'd like me to be home for dinner, and I understand where she's coming from." It had been several weeks since Kurt had sat down to a meal with both his mom and dad. He hadn't really done it intentionally, things had just been crazy busy since Kurt had moved back home.

"We're still seeing each other tonight I hope though."

"Of course! I've been going through serious Sebastian Smythe withdrawals over the past few days."

"_Hot_," Sebastian purred. "I'm glad I was there with you in spirit to get the job done even when I'm not there do the honour myself."

Kurt sputtered, "That's not what I meant!" Even if it was an accurate statement (and it was), Kurt wasn't going to give Sebastian the satisfaction of admitting it to him. "I'll call you when dinner's over," he said through Sebastian's continued laughter.

"I'll be counting the minutes."

Now that Sebastian had some unexpected free time on his hands, he decided to use it his advantage and design some more outfits. Even though he wasn't about to follow anyone's orders, he did try to heed Kurt's and Puck's _advice_ about creating outfits more suited for casual wear. Which just as he feared, proved to be horribly boring. What was the point in sketching a single shirt, or a pair of pants when you could find dozens exactly like them in the shops? Not to mention it was nearly impossible to keep things original when Sebastian had so little to work with.

In the end, all Sebastian accomplished was two outfits, one for women, and the other for men, and they were barely acceptable in his mind.

_'Watch everyone love them and commend me for it,'_ Sebastian grumbled when he drew the final line on the men's outfit.

Although, looking at them now, Sebastian was warming up to the two designs; the male one was a mashup of fancy and casual, with a fitted vest that sported a hoodie, while the collared shirt underneath had short rolled up sleeves, and a mandarin style collar. The pants were semi-fitted and had cargo pockets and ended just at the ankle with the bottom hem rolled up as well. Sebastian hadn't bothered to colour the sketch yet but he had designed the ensemble with a teal or blue colour palette in mind.

He could actually see Puck wear something like it, which should make things interesting when he showed it to the man.

As for the female outfit, Sebastian attempts to keep things casual and yet still stylish had gone a bit better. That was often how designing went though; it was always easier to make women's clothes more unique and aesthetically pleasing. Sebastian had designed a romper set that had ruffled layers so it looked as if it were a two piece top and skirt. The fabric in the sketch was blank, but Sebastian figured he could use a custom silk screen pattern to give it an extra creative edge. The sleeves were made of a sheer flowing fabric that had embroidered edges in a floral pattern.

Unique and Sugar would both love the outfit and most likely say it was perfect for them, which he agreed with of course. It was about time for the fashion industry to make clothes that would work for all different shapes and kinds of body types.

Sebastian let out a tired sigh; just thinking of all of the shortcomings in fashion was depressing him. "When did I become so bitchy about designing?" he asked aloud.

None of this was news to Sebastian, who used to look at such challenges with a fire driven determination. He wanted to be at the front of the line to change all of the archaic and back minded rules to help create a whole new era of fashion design!

Or at least, that's what he had always told himself; now Sebastian wasn't so sure anymore. But why was he having second thoughts? Sebastian refused to think that his fashion show loss could be the sole factor, because if so then that was beyond fucked up! Failure was a part of life; it shaped you and helped people learn from their mistakes and move onto the next new challenge.

So if that wasn't it, then what in the hell blazes was wrong with him? Unfortunately, no answers came to him, and Sebastian decided not to push himself too hard to find any. He'd have the entire summer to sort out this mess after all.

Sebastian put his design book away and stood up from his work desk, stretching his arms to bring some sensation back into his stiff muscles. He heard his cell phone buz and smiled; that had to be Kurt telling him that he'd finished dinner with his folks and was ready to spend of the rest of the evening with him. But when Sebastian called up the message he saw it wasn't Kurt, but Santana, who had been sending Sebastian sporadic texts ever since she'd gone back to London.

_**How are you doing, Sebby? You better not be moping around about how much designing sucks.**_

Only someone as blunt as Santana would have the nerve to send a message like this. How should he answer it though? Sebastian knew that ignoring her would be useless, and it was the same for avoiding the question.

_So what if I am? _He sent, which wasn't his best work but it felt appropriate, given who it was for.

_**Tisk. Tisk. That's no way for you to behave. **_

Sebastian made a snort of derision, and typed a long rant that would hopefully put Santana in her place.

_Well sorry for having human emotions, Tana. Feeling displeased with the trials of fashion design isn't a crime you know. I bet it looks weak to you, but I've started to discover that just bottling everything up and acting like I don't give a shit isn't working as good as it used to for me. But before you come running back to launch another intervention: I am doing just fine. It's understandable that I'm second guessing my choices, I mean, we're only nineteen; lots of people our age-or older-don't have their entire lives planned out for them already. _

It took a while for Santana to send her reply, which felt oddly satisfying, but not for long, because when he looked down at his phone again, he saw that she had finished with her response.

_**I know you want me to feel sympathetic, but it seems to me like you're just spewing fancy words to try to justify the funk you're in, Seb. **_

"Oh now she's just trying to piss me off!" Sebastian muttered, typing 'fuck you' to her and hit send before locking his screen.

Sebastian planted himself back in the chair at his work table and grabbed for his design book. "I'll show her who's in a funk!" He flipped to an open page and began to make a bunch of sketches of womens frames until they began to form into actual designs. "I am going to design a dress so stunning, Santana will beg me on her knees to make it for her!"

Fuck her and anyone else who dared to question his ability. "Make that a whole line of clothes!" Anger fuelled Sebastian as he dived further into work mode, gathering books and other source material until they were piled high around his desk.

Sebastian was so wrapped up in creating masterpiece after masterpiece that he didn't hear the front door open, nor did he notice when his name was called out from the hallway. It took the ignored arrival coming into the bedroom and tapping Sebastian on the shoulder to get any sort of reaction.

"What?" Sebastian snarled, but then he whirled around to see Kurt, who stopped smiling at him after getting such an unwelcoming reaction.

"I just wanted to let you know that I'm here; I tried getting you on your phone, and then calling out to you when I got here." Kurt's defences were on high; his posture was tense and his eyes more sad than annoyed.

Sebastian wanted to punch himself, but seeing the hurt on his boyfriend's face was punishment enough. "Sorry," he quickly apologized with complete sincerity, hoping it would be enough. "I got pissed off after texting with Santana and put all that anger in my designs." He reached out to touch Kurt's arm and was relieved when he didn't pull away. "So you'll have to forgive me for nearly biting your head off there, babe."

"I do, do I?" The hint of playfulness in Kurt's voice was a relief to hear. "I'm not so sure I want to just yet…"

It was pretty easy for Sebastian to guess what Kurt wanted from him, and he was only too happy to oblige. "Then how about we stay in and I spend the rest evening trying to change your mind?" he asked, kissing Kurt full on the lips to begin the enjoyable process.

"Well…" Kurt began with a playful smirk that was wiped off his face when Sebastian switched to kissing his neck. At first Kurt tried to pretend that his boyfriend wasn't driving him wild with his heated kisses, but when Sebastian hugged their bodies together, he dropped the act, adding his own passion as they brought their lips together again. "When you put it that way…" More thrilling kisses followed before Kurt bothered to finish his sentence. "How could I say no."

And he didn't, not so much of a word of protest as they began to disrobe one another, the only sounds Kurt made ended up being ones of sheer pleasure.

"Feeling any better?" Kurt asked as they settled down for bed later than night.

Sebastian laid his back against the headboard, which amazingly was still in one piece. "Loads."

Kurt was at the vanity going through his nighttime skin routine, his eyes on the container of cream he was coating two of his fingers in. His gaze went up to his face next as he massaged it onto his cheeks and finally glanced at Sebastian's reflection when he replied, "Well enough to share with me what had you feeling so disgruntled before?"

What was it with everyone suddenly becoming so concerned with Sebastian's emotional well being? It made him wish he could go back to when no one gave enough of a shit about him to ask him such invasive questions.

"Is there any way I could say no without you becoming pissed at me?"

Kurt rolled his eyes. "It's not like I'm asking you to pour your heart out here; I just want to know how you've been, since we've seen so little of each other these last three days."

"I've been all right." Sebastian saw Kurt raised his brows in suspicion. "I've just been questioning my life choices somewhat."

The casual tone of Sebastian's voice did nothing to diminish the seriousness of his remark, and Kurt, who seemed to have sensed this, stopped what he was doing to come over to the bed. He climbed onto what had become his side and placed his hand on Sebastian's.

"We all have those moments," Kurt started, smiling softly. "Just because you've found your passion doesn't mean you're not allowed to have second thoughts."

Overcome with affection, Sebastian gathered Kurt into his arms. "Fuck, I love you, Kurt," he murmured, pressing his head against his boyfriend's cheek. Kurt wrapped his arms around Sebastian and held him close, letting his soothing presence wash over Sebastian, who hadn't realized how badly he'd needed to hear that from someone.

"What if I end up hating designing once it becomes a career for me, Kurt?" Sebastian whispered, and in thought he added, _'If I even make it that far.' _It happened all the time; what would start off as a labour of love would begin to shift as the pressure built up and would change into feeling like forced labour. It was already happening to Sebastian too! Here he was; a fucking college freshman and everyone was telling what to design and who for. Why hadn't he realized this before? Was he so disillusioned by his dream of becoming a world famous designer that he was blind to the downsides?

"You're not making it easy to be your moral centre right now, Sebastian," Kurt grumbled, albeit lovingly, pulling away so he could show Sebastian his smitten smile.

"It's okay if you don't have any answers babe. I'd prefer you say nothing rather than give me empty assurances."

"It's still early; you're only a college freshman, Sebastian, you have plenty of time, years if need be, to figure everything out. I may not have all the answers for you, but what I do know is that designing is going to be a part of your life no matter what you end up doing; it's in your blood. Maybe instead of trying to make up your mind about whether you want to pursue designing on a professional level or not, you spend the next three years learning the craft and see where that might take you."

College freshman or not, Sebastian knew he couldn't let himself fully relax, or else he would never make a name for himself. But he did understand Kurt's point, as misplaced as it might be (though his boyfriend's heart was in the right place) and he was grateful for that. But he couldn't just waste his college years exploring his options, not when he was in the designing program, and not after he'd gone to such lengths to be accepted.

Sebastian didn't want to graduate and realize that he'd spent the past four years wasting his time and for him to be back at square one again.

"Beautifully said," Sebastian praised with only a hint of (accidental) sarcasm in his voice.

"In my defense, I have had one hell of a day today."

"Do tell." Sebastian repositioned himself until he and Kurt were lying side by side with their shoulders touching. Kurt snuggled up to him, but eyed him warily, as if he were waiting for some sort of punch line. "I mean it: it would be a nice change to hear about someone else's problems."

"Well for starters, Blaine pulled me aside at school to tell me that he's gay," Kurt said point blank.

It was impossible for Sebastian not to smirked. _'Nicely done bowtie boy, I didn't think you had it in you.'_

"He also told me about the time you ending up giving him a blow job in a gay club bathroom," Kurt continued.

"Ah yes, I remember it vaguely… I was at one of my usual clubs looking for action when my eyes fell upon this guy, though while very easy on the eyes, looked completely out of his element. I'd seen his type before and knew from experience offering them a warm welcome often worked out in my favour..." Sebastian paused for a moment. "I just realized you might not want to hear this story."

"Keep going, I'm too invested for you to stop now," Kurt urged.

Sebastian narrowed his eyes and studied Kurt's expression for a moment just to be sure, but he appeared to be just as curious as he claimed. "So I saw this cute, albeit, doe eyed boy trying his best to fit in, and I decided to approach him, as I've always had a thing for the bashful schoolboy type, and he was quick to respond to my flirtations. After I bought him a drink and we took a turn on the dance floor I decided (mostly for amusement) to proposition him; and to my utter amazement, shy boy turned out to be not so shy after all, and said yes. Next thing I knew we were in the washroom and I was opening him up to new pleasures."

"Is it getting too hot for you babe?" Sebastian asked with a wink, but Kurt just rolled his eyes and told him to keep talking. "It didn't take me too long to get him off, but once his head began to clear after just reaching orgasm, he froze up, and did a total about face, saying that he shouldn't be here and he barely put his pants back on before he went running outta there, apologizing to me as he went."

Sebastian had put the encountered out of his head right up until he saw the same guy at the hospital back when Kurt had collapsed. "I hope you're not too annoyed with me for not telling you about Blaine and I's first _encounter _with each other."

Kurt squeezed his hand. "I'm not; it wasn't your secret to tell, though I was really surprised. I mean, out of all of the guys who Blaine could have run into at that club, it turned out to be my boyfriend." He chuckled with a shake of his head. "I wonder how Sugar and Puck will react, whenever Blaine gets around to telling them."

"Do you think he will?" Sebastian asked.

"I think so, he told me how much he regrets how things turned out between them. He ended up forming quite the crush on Puck, and it was too much for him to take, so he took a step back and never got the nerve to explain himself, which eventually led to their falling out."

Even though Sebastian had theorized the possibility, hearing the confirmation from Kurt was enough to render him utterly speechless. Wide eyed and completely loss for words (a rare occurrence for him) Sebastian gaped at his smug-faced boyfriend, who had no doubt dropped that information bomb on purpose.

"Who would've thought that Blaine had the hots for Puckerman all along," Sebastian finally said.

"Crazy huh? I would say he has good taste in men but who knows what Puck was like when he was an adolescent back before he and Sugar got together."

Oh the stories he could tell, and would tell Kurt, just some other night when he wasn't so close to falling asleep. "From what I've been told, he was quite the tough little shit," Sebastian said with a yawn and left it at that.

Kurt didn't press him for any more details, and instead shared about what else had happened to him that day. From his encounter with Blaine, being submitted to his mom's boasting in the kitchen, his meeting with Shelby and then a slightly awkward dinner with his folks, Sebastian had to agree that Kurt had gone through quite a lot for one day. At least he'd gotten to come here and spend the remainder of it fucking and now he would get to end it by sleeping together in the same bed.

Sebastian had let Kurt be the bigger spoon that night (it wasn't like he had a preference anyway) and listened to his boyfriend's quiet breathing. As tired as he felt, and as distracting as Kurt had been, he still couldn't forget Santana's passive-aggressive text messages. Even now he had to resist the urge to get up and see what her response to his 'fuck you' was-if she'd given him one.

Just when his mind was finally starting to quiet down, Sebastian's eyes snapped open with an epiphany. He carefully turned his body enough that he could reach over and grab his phone off of his night stand. After he clicked the volume off, he brought up his camera and lined his phone until the preview had both him and Kurt, who was sound asleep and had no idea what was going on, in the shot.

Once Sebastian took the photo displaying him spooning against his snoozing boyfriend, he sent it to Santana, along with a quick text message that read 'Look who's moping now.' Finally satisfied, Sebastian turned his phone off, put it back on the nightstand and once he was all snuggled with Kurt again, he fell asleep with a smug smile on his face.

To mark the completion of their freshman year of college (and of Kurt's passing grades), the ladies of Paradis Bise had suggested they throw a end of the school year bash. Kurt was all for it, but the date did have to be moved a few days ahead (after his mall modelling gig) so he could attend.

In true Sebastian Smythe fashion (pun intended), the group's flamboyant leader had taken the idea and managed to throw a bash unlike anything Kurt had ever seen. The studio was transformed into a sparkling paradise, complete with white Christmas lights, colourful paper lanterns, balloons, and more ribbon and lace than Kurt thought anyone could ever own, let alone decorate with. Fresh flowers adorned almost every surface, save for the spots that were being used to hold their food and drink, which was far more than five people could ever hope to eat in one night.

Such splendid scenery could only be attended by people who were equally fabulously dressed, and per Sebastian's instructions, everyone had donned their best duds for the occasion.

As the designated trendsetter of the group, Sebastian had gone all out and had put on his finest suit, which was so beautifully crafted it could only have been made by his skillful hands. With shimmer accents in the dark blue fabric, Sebastian literally sparkled in the light. Even his white undershirt was made of an equally dazzling white silver fabric, and his tie was covered in eye popping crystal rhinestones. To complete the effect, Sebastian's leather loafers were adorned with tiny golden spikes and spotlessly shined golden toes.

Kurt started seeing stars as soon as Sebastian stepped out of the bathroom to present himself to the group (no wonder he hadn't wanted to get dressed back at his apartment). An ensemble as grand as his deserved a debut fitting of its high calibre.

_'And Sebastian thinks I'm the one who can pull off any outfit,'_ Kurt thought with wonder.

His own suit wasn't as flashy, but it still had a light sheen thanks to the wool and silk combination of his black and gold jacquard camouflage blazer. While far more subtle than his boyfriend's, Kurt loved his outfit, and how it was so obviously him. He kept trying to catch the light of the hidden gold accents in the fabric by moving his body just so.

Looking past the two of them, which was not easy for Kurt to do, Puck, Unique and Sugar did not disappoint in the couture department. Kurt barely recognized Puck at first because he was sporting a three piece suit (yes he was actually wearing a waistcoat!) that Kurt thought was black, but upon closer inspection, turned out to be a dark purple. He had finished it with a simple black necktie and black leather loafers, and even slicked down his mohawk with gel. Kurt thought he looked like a modern age James Bond.

Sugar, no doubt in attempts to match her dapper boyfriend, had chosen a black crepe and tulle dress. The bodice was sleeveless and hand-embellished with what must have been hundreds of light-catching beads and flower-shaped sequins. The skirt was made of layered black tulle that ended mid thigh. Sugar's black criss cross pumps were almost high enough to make her the same height as her boyfriend, leaving only an inch or two between the pair.

That only left Unique, who Kurt had saved for last, because despite Sebastian's attempts to be the belle of the ball, she outshined everyone (literally). The bust of Unique's gown was encrusted with rainbow swarovski crystals (the shimmer theme among them had be to be more than just a coincidence) and a single left side strap held it in place. Flowing chiffon in iridescent pearl pink cascaded down Unique's body, hugging the curves of her body and flaring out just past her knees. Her shoes were completely covered by the length of her gown, but Kurt had seen flashes of rhinestones when walked.

It took a few minutes of staring for Kurt's brain to process that the beautifully dressed people before him were real and not just glamourous figments of his imagination. They looked so amazing! Kurt didn't know where to begin when it came to voicing his praises; everything he thought of felt too miniscule.

"Gosh, I love fashion!" Kurt gushed all in one breath, summing his feelings up in a few short words.

Sebastian whirled around in a fluid motion and scanned each of his friends with his keen eyes. Kurt already knew he was safe, because Sebastian was the one who had put his outfit together, so he just watched the scene in front of him unfold. He couldn't see how Sebastian could find any faults in their ensembles, but if anyone could, it would be his fashion-savvy boyfriend.

After giving Unique and Sugar both a good long look over, Sebastian grinned charmingly at them and nodded in approval. "As always ladies, you two have outdone yourself." He clapped his hands in a short round of applause. "Bravo." His sign of approval given, Sebastian moved his sights to Puck, who was leisurely reclining over by the bar.

Puck made no attempts to straighten his posture as Sebastian sautered his way over and stopped a couple feet in front of him. Nor did he bat an eye when Sebastian placed his hand on his chin as he began expressively scrutinizing Puck's state of dress.

"It's a good effort Noah, but we both know you can do better," Sebastian tutted. "Fortunately for you, I have just the thing to make you fit in with the rest of us a bit more." He was quickly on the move again, darting over to the largest storage closet in the studio and disappearing from sight.

Puck stood up from the bar and stepped over to where Kurt and the ladies were. "If he pulls out a sequin tuxedo then I'm making a run for it," he grumbled.

"I wouldn't worry," Kurt said, smirking. "Because if he did have such a thing, he would have surely had me wear it." On chance that was he wrong, Kurt was willing to swap outfits with Puck (he would look good in black camo), even at the wrath of his boyfriend.

But it turned out that the chivalrous suggestion was unnecessary, because Sebastian didn't return with a suit in hand, but what appeared to be a tie, and two other items that were partially hidden in his hands. Sebastian greeted Puck with a warm smile and held out the tie for him to admire; it was made of a metallic purple fabric in a checkered design. Kurt instantly thought Sebastian had chosen well; it was shiny enough that it went better with the motif of everyone's outfits, but wasn't so outlandish that Puck would refuse to wear it.

"I guess that's not so bad," relented Puck, who seemed to know it would be easier to go along with Sebastian in the end.

"Thatta boy," Sebastian said with a wink, tossing the tie over his shoulder for safe keeping. He then held out a crystaline flower boutonnièr, which sparkled brilliantly but again didn't push the line too far for Puck to be willing to wear it.

Sebastian carefully pinned the accessory to front pocket of Puck's suit and did a little smug nod when he was finished. "There, your look is almost perfect, all that's left is the tie."

"Which you don't need to put on for me," Puck replied as he undid the black one he was wearing and snatched the purple one off of Sebastian's shoulder. In surprising flash of movement, Puck slipped the new tie around his neck and did it up with almost as much precision as Kurt had seen Sebastian do time and time again.

It reminded Kurt that Sebastian wasn't the only designer among them, Unique, Sugar and Puck were all in the program as well. Would any of them want to enter the fashion show in their junior or senior years? Had this been their one shot to succeed together?

_'There's no point in worrying over something that's years away and may not even happen,'_ Kurt told himself.

"Don't you look all dapper and handsome, Noah," Sebastian touched his shoulder to feel the fabric. "No wonder you got such a high grade on this suit; the craftsmanship is impeccable."

Puck grinned. "I didn't think it would matter so much if I didn't go with black like you told me, but it sure helped."

"Let that be a lesson to you to never doubt my wisdom when it comes to fashion."

When it was clear that Sebastian and Puck were just being their usual bickering selves, Kurt turned his attention to amusing himself. As luck would have it, as soon as he looked Sugar and Unique's way, the two ladies smiled and ushered him over to join them.

"So have you found any colleges you want to apply to yet, Angel?" Sugar asked as he took a seat at the bar beside them.

"You sound like my mom," Kurt said, rolling his eyes, until he realized how rude that was of him, so he quickly added, "minus her overly nagging tone."

Kurt spent the next few minutes chatting about his attempts to wade his way through the tricky waters of finding a college he was more suited to. Even though he tried not to, Kurt eventually started to vent (quite loudly) about how he had gotten nowhere so far. Before he knew it, they were joined by Puck and Sebastian, who decided everyone could use a good drink at this point and handed out glasses of wine.

The topic of future plans slowly began to go around to everyone, and while Kurt appreciated their encouragement, hearing that everyone else had solid plans, only made Kurt feel ever more lost about his own predicament.

In the end it was Sebastian who decided to address Kurt's issue head on, and he started by laying a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. "Kurt, Kurt," he said, shaking his head. " You already have an answer to all of your scholastic problems: you need to apply to SAIC, so we all can be one big happy and fabulously dressed family."

Kurt, who could smell the alcohol on his breath, stole Sebastian's glass out of his hand. "No more wine for you, Mr. Fix-it." SAIC was at the top of the short list he'd accumulated so far, but he was afraid to get his hopes up too high when he still had so much to look into. Kurt had barely begun researching what schools were out there, and then there was the matter of what degree he should go for.

Just thinking of all that work made Kurt's head spin, or maybe that was the two full glasses of wine he'd drunk over the course of the night. Kurt put both of their glasses down as a safety precaution (to avoid unwanted hangovers tomorrow morning), went back to Sebastian's side, and slipped his arm around his boyfriend's waist.

"I'm not ruling it out, because I would love to go to school with all of you, I'm just wanting to look at every possible option for me… so I can find the best one." Kurt sighed; why did hearing himself say that out loud sound so silly now? "I will find it though, even if it takes me longer than I would like."

Sebastian smiled at him lovingly. "Of course you will babe, you're Kurt Hummel; there's nothing you can't do."

"Hear, hear!" Sugar cheered with a raising her glass.

"And if you find yourself struggling Angel, just ask one of us for help. It took me ages to decide if I should go to SAIC or not. I got accepted to three different performing art schools." Unique did a proud little flip of her hair. "In the end, I went with my gut, and enrolled at SAIC, and while it hasn't always been easy for me… especially thanks to this guy…" Unique poked Sebastian in the ribs. "But at the end of the day, I know it was the right choice."

"Don't think that any of us know what the hell we're doing most of the time Kurt, because I often feel like I haven't got a clue, about anything!" Puck said, vigorously shaking his hand and the wine glass he was holding, spilling some of his drink.

Kurt beamed at his four friends with barely contained affection; suddenly the fact that he didn't have his whole life laid out before him didn't matter as much. He'd spent the better part of his life knowing exactly what was expected of him and what direction he had to go in. Now that he'd managed to break away from that predesigned path, Kurt had expected he would welcome the freedom it brought with open arms. And while he loved how his life had changed, there were so many unknown variables, so much that he could lose if he were to make the wrong choice.

Just in the knick of time a kiss on the cheek from Sebastian put an abrupt halt to Kurt's rapid descent into self doubt.

"Thanks, doll," Kurt said, pecking him on the lips as reward. This was supposed to be a celebration of a school year well done, not a pity party for Kurt, so he willed himself to remain positive. He already had one thing to feel happy about; he had a new pet name for Sebastian to try out.

Sebastian's flirty smirk when Kurt had used it was encouraging too, as was his following wink. "That's what I'm here for." His cheery mood was probably due to his tipsy state, but whatever the cause, Kurt found it quite infectious. "And don't you forget it, babe."

Feeling too giggly (and giddy) to speak properly, Kurt just nodded in merry agreement.

_~Six Months Later~_

The Bellalise spring fashion show was everything Kurt hoped it would be and more: his outfit was amazing, the whole experience was so much fun, and best of all Kurt got to share it with Sebastian, who was also modelling for it. From the second Kurt was whisked away by Isabelle's staff to get dressed and ready for the show Kurt had started smiling and hadn't stopped, even when it was over. If only all of his modelling jobs could end like this, where Kurt was feeling giddy and full of pep, but much of his mood was because of Sebastian and how fucking hot he had looked in his outfit for the show.

Kurt's distressed biker jeans, slim fit dark brown leather jacket and a short sleeved gradient blue polo (that he'd almost begged Isabelle to let him buy) was pretty awesome but still didn't compare to the rugged outdoor-chic that was Sebastian Smythe. He didn't even know what he had liked best about his look: the teal cotton blend shorts that showed off his boyfriend's well shaped calves, his blue checked dress shirt that were rolled up enough for his arm muscles to be out on display, or the light grey bomber jacket that Sebastian had thrown over his shoulder during his runway walk.

Once the fashion show was over, everyone involved had been invited to a celebratory aftershow party. As soon as Sebastian had descended upon them, it quickly became clear he was Mr. Popularity and loved all of the attention.

Kurt would have felt jealous, if Sebastian hadn't gone out of his way to include Kurt in all the fun, and introduced him to anyone he wasn't familiar with. By the time the night started to wind down, Kurt was on cloud nine and wished life could be like that all of the time.

So he was surprised when Sebastian had gotten a strange gleam in his eye and had announced that he needed to get Kurt home before curfew. Everyone had laughed and just let them leave, but not until Kurt had made it clear he didn't actually have a curfew.

They'd high tailed it to Sebastian's apartment next and Kurt waited until they were inside to ask him what he was up to, except Kurt never got the chance. Sebastian had grabbed onto his face the second they'd cleared the door and kissed him with such passion, Kurt was left feeling weak in the knees.

"Fuck Kurt, I can't get over how amazing your hair looks!" Sebastian's hands hovered beside the sides of Kurt's head for a few seconds before he lowered them to touch his neck. "I'm torn because I'm dying to run my hands through it, but I don't want to mess up your do because it is totally working for me right now."

Kurt laughed, "Is that why you took so many headshots of me after the show? So you could build your own hair porn collection?" When Kurt had first seen his hair piled high on top of his head like a T-bird straight out of Grease, including the little curl in front, he'd thought it matched well with his outfit, but that was about it. But now when he thought back to Sebastian's expression at seeing him all done up he recalled that his boyfriend had stared at him for an awfully long time.

"I couldn't pass up the golden opportunity, which you will handsomely benefit from now… or in a couple of seconds; I just want one last look at you..."

Kurt resisted the urge to shake his hands through his hair to put an end things, but where was the fun in that? Sebastian would probably just torture him by gazing at the photos he'd taken, or spend way too long trying to fix it himself.

It was time for Kurt to use Sebastian's love of tactile physical contact to his advantage. "But just think of all the fun you could have dishevelling it…" He took hold of Sebastian's hands and guided them to clasp the back of Kurt's head. He made sure they were low enough that there was no risk of accidentally ruining his hairdo (since Kurt wanted Sebastian to do that all on his own). "With your own... two… hands."

"Now that sounds like a challenge that's worth taking," Sebastian smoothly replied, tightening his grip, but still keeping his touch gentle.

The next few minutes were a sensual blur for Kurt; full of heated kisses, soft moans and fingers digging into his hair. By the time he was able recover from the pleasure it brought him, Kurt found himself with his back pressed against the wall of and Sebastian doing everything his power to hit all of Kurt's sweet spots (starting with his clear favourite: the neck).

"Welcome back Kurt, I was afraid I'd lost you there for a second," teased Sebastian.

Kurt blinked a couple of times to get his eyes to focus. "The only place I'm going is to the bedroom."

"Living room's closer."

Kurt glanced ahead to the spot in question and frowned. "But we'll need to stop to get condoms and lube and those are in the bedroom." Unless he had them stashed all around the apartment (Kurt wouldn't put it past him) but the last few times they'd had sex outside of the boudoir, one them had always had to make a quick supply run to Sebastian's dresser drawer.

"In most cases that would be correct, but since tonight was a special occasion for us, I did some groundwork and stashed everything we would need in a number of key locations around the apartment," Sebastian explained. "I thought we could have some fun in trying to use them all before the sun rises."

It was a tall order, one that Kurt wasn't sure was even possible, but he wasn't about to throw in the towel before giving it their best efforts. Besides, it was a Friday night, and there was no reason they couldn't finish the challenge in the morning.

"The living room it is then," Kurt announced, taking Sebastian by the hand and bringing them over to the couch.

Sebastian was feeling quite proud of himself for taking the time to strategically place condoms and lube around the apartment,but the best part was that Kurt was all for it and actually seemed amused by this preparedness. Deciding to have sex in the spur of the moment was the ideal, but not when it caught him so off guard that Sebastian didn't have the right supplies on hand. He still remember the time he'd seduced the most gorgeous guy he'd ever seen (next to Kurt) and had gone to his apartment only to discover that hot boy's roommate had used the last condom and hadn't bothered to replace it. And then, to make matters worse, by the time Sebastian made it back from his store run, the same roommate had come home and had become an annoying third wheel. So from that frustrating moment on, Sebastian had formed the habit of always keeping at least one condom and one single use package of lube on hand, either in his wallet or in his back pocket.

Of course Kurt had discovered this some weeks back when he'd felt the condom in his pocket when they were making out in the back of his car, and had teased him mercilessly. But Kurt had ended up eating his words that night when Sebastian suggested they make good use of it and fuck in the convertible (with top up for extra stealth).

"So, where did you hide them in here?" Kurt asked.

Sebastian grinned. "Don't feel like hunting for them yourself?"

"Not in the least; I rather put my energy towards much more gratifying efforts." He demonstrated by promptly getting Sebastian out of his maroon designer sweater.

"Wasn't the outfit I wore for the show simply devine! I was so in love with the polo shirt especially; I think I'm forming a borderline fetish for gradient colour fabrics," Kurt gushed as Sebastian worked on removing the skull shirt by Alexander McQueen Kurt had borrowed for today.

"When it's done right gradient can create quite the eye popping effect." Sebastian had spent many hours slaving over buckets of dye to get the grueling process just right. And for every success that had made its way into Sebastian's closet, at least another five botched attempts had been thrown away.

Sebastian threw Kurt's shirt over where his sweater had landed and draped his arms over his boyfriend's bare shoulders. "Oh, before I forget, I managed to sweet talk Isabelle into letting me buy the polo shirt you wore at a huge discount." She had actually offered it for free after Sebastian had told her how much Kurt loved it, but he knew his boyfriend would try to refuse the generous offer if he knew the truth.

"Are you serious!" Kurt blurted out, stopping right before his lips touched Sebastian's.

"Would I lie to you about clothes?" Sebastian replied.

Kurt's first reaction was to kiss Sebastian and then beam at him with the widest smile imaginable. "I have never loved you more." And Kurt was very keen to express his love in the most physical sense, launching them to start a passionate couch side makeout session. Sebastian barely had a chance to steady himself as Kurt pushed him sideways onto the couch. Delighted by his boyfriend's sudden burst of energy, Sebastian laid his back against the sofa cushion at the arm, reached for Kurt's waist and pulled him close enough to give him enthusiastic kiss on the lips.

"If you're this happy to get clothes thanks to me, then I cannot wait until I'm finished with your butterfly motif suit, Kurt," Sebastian happily babbled as Kurt began to suck on his neck.

Kurt waited until he finished the hickey he was working on Sebastian's right collarbone before bothering to respond. "I'd tell you that you don't need to make or give me clothes to get sex out of me, because you don't, but on the other side-my slightly more material one-I'm totally fine with you spoiling me with beautiful couture in return for amazing sex."

"I see it more as a perk than a type of payment," Sebastian said.

"Ooh I like that!" Kurt grinned from ear to ear as he circled Sebastian's new hickey with his finger. "And I am so using it." He decorated Sebastian's neck with kisses, and without any warning, began to gently graze his teeth along the sensitive skin.

Sebastian's body shuddered from the contact but he managed to keep himself still so he wouldn't interrupt Kurt's concentration. Ever since summer break had started, Kurt and Sebastian were quick to put their added free time to good use and perfect their lovemaking skills as a couple. There was always room for improvement, but he and Kurt had become wonderfully in sync with each other and right now was no different. Kurt knew Sebastian's body and what it liked better than anyone else, knew where he liked to be touched, and teased and get the responses that would fuel Kurt's desires in turn.

There was no risk (so far anyway) that things were becoming too routine either, because another thing Kurt knew was how much Sebastian liked to kept on his toes. He was always trying to invent new ways to surprise Sebastian, who often went out of his way to encourage such ingenuitive behaviour. Another thing Sebastian was pleased to discover was how much easier it was for him to give up control when the rewards were so generous. Sebastian still loved calling the shots, but now he didn't need to all of the time.

Sebastian hadn't hadn't forgotten about messing up Kurt's hair porn, and he soon wound his fingers around Kurt's brown locks, twirling them into clumsy ringlets. That lasted for about five seconds before Kurt bit down on his shoulder and, in his surprise, Sebastian lurched his body forward so abruptly that he almost fell off of the couch.

"Fucking hell, Kurt," Sebastian muttered as he regained his balance and leaned back on the couch. "Next time warn a guy if you're gonna break skin all right." He hoped his smirking face was enough of a sign for Kurt to know he wanted there to be a next time.

"Don't be such a baby." Kurt leaned over to inspect the 'bite mark' and rolled his eyes. "I didn't even break skin on you." But he kissed his boyfriend's new owie anyway.

Kurt smiled. "Better?"

_'I can make good use of this,'_ Sebastian thought cunningly, even if it was a cheap move. "Almost, but you know what really make me forget all about it?" When Kurt didn't bother to guess Sebastian quickly continued, "If we were to lose our pants."

With an affectionate shake of his head, Kurt knelt down in front of Sebastian, going for his belt and undoing the buckle. He pulled it out of the belt loops and tossed it onto the floor, and moved on to his fly next. Sebastian hiked his ass up to help Kurt get his jeans off his hips and soon Kurt rolled them off of his legs and finally his ankles.

"Floor or couch?" Kurt asked as he held onto the jeans.

Trust Kurt to know to ask him something like that. "They're jeans." Sebastian shrugged, giving Kurt a playful smirk. "So the floor's fine." Kurt nodded, tossing them far enough away to be out of the line of fire. Sebastian made a mental note to let him know what clothes were fine to throw to the ground and which ones needed to be handled with more care. More for the sake of amusement than any actual concern; Kurt had shown keen judgement so far on that front.

It wasn't long before Kurt had removed his own pants and was ready to return to Sebastian's side, except he didn't, for some reason, Kurt turned away from Sebastian, who was holding his hands up in a 'what the fuck' gesture, and began to snoop around.

"So, where are they?" Kurt muttered as he continued to scan the area.

Sebastian made a face, even though Kurt's attention was clearly elsewhere. "Where is what?"

"Your stash in the living room." Kurt knelt down in front of the coffee table, giving Sebastian a perfect view of his perky ass. "Never mind I found them." He came back up with the roll of condoms and small tube of lube Sebastian had placed on the bottom shelf of the coffee table last night.

Now that Sebastian knew what his boyfriend was up to, all was quickly forgiven, and put aside so things could finally get somewhere. Sebastian shimmied out of his boxer-briefs and chucked them in the direction his jeans had landed. Not the smoothest move for him to make, but then, he and Kurt hadn't had sex for two weeks. Two ruthlessly long and trying weeks. He'd had the odd dry run now and then, and a couple of them had gone on longer than this one, but neither fact had helped him cope this time around.

It was summer vacation, so one would think there would be ample time for him and Kurt to fuck to their hearts content!

"Are you still annoyed that I got so busy with modelling work?" Kurt asked, bringing Sebastian away from his thoughts.

Sebastian grinned at Kurt. "Why would you think that?" He could practically hear Kurt's eye roll in reply, it was that loud.

"Oh, I dunno, how about the fact that I am standing here, stark naked and ripe for the taking and there you are just sitting on the couch doing nothing about it." Kurt planted his hands on his bare hips. "I know it's been a while, and I've been counting the days a much as you have…"

"All fourteen of them?" Sebastian taunted with saucy grin.

"Yes. I barely survived the wait until tonight, and I thought you would be in a similar state, hence my surprise to discover otherwise." Kurt wasn't trying very hard with his angry act; his lips were pursed but upturned, his eyes brimming with mischief.

"You're right," Sebastian said, because nothing worked better to get his boyfriend in the mood (except for 'I love you'). "I'm an idiot who shouldn't have let my mind wander." He hooked his fingers with Kurt's, pulling his hand forward until Sebastian's lips brushed against his knuckles. "And it's a sin I am going to spend the whole night... _repenting_." Like the truly devout, Sebastian got down on his knees in front of Kurt, but instead of placing his hands together in prayer, he used them to pull Kurt's boxer-briefs off of his hips.

A few tugs and Kurt's body was ripe for the taking.

Sebastian flicked his eyes up at Kurt, grinning charmingly at him as he stood up to kiss him on the mouth. Kurt brought his hands to clasp the sides of Sebastian neck as he responded with matching passion. "I've missed you," Kurt breathed, kissing him again. "Missed this." He let out a fevered moan when Sebastian rubbed the front of the body against his. "So damn much."

"Mmm," Sebastian was too busy to say anything else, but Kurt hardly seemed to mind. Desire pulsed in his veins, it had been so fucking long, how had he survived two weeks without this? It wasn't even about having sex, it was just how amazing it felt to be with Kurt. As much as he craved sexual release, physical intimacy was so much more rewarding, and as it turned out, extremely addictive.

Sebastian pulled back and pecked Kurt on the lips one more time to stop his boyfriend from pouting. He took Kurt's hands in his as he bent down to sit on the couch, pulling Kurt, (and the lube and condom his boyfriend quickly grabbed) to join him there.

"Sebastian." Kurt draped his arms over Sebastian shoulders and settled himself on his boyfriend's lap; fuck he smelled so amazing! He needed to ask him what cologne he had started using, but that would have to wait for later.

"I want you to ride me," Sebastian said, reaching for the lube beside him on the couch. He maneuvered his hands to meet behind Kurt's back so be could pop open the cap. "That okay with you, babe?" He already knew Kurt's answer; he face was flushed red and his eyes were fluttering with excitement. But he still waited until Kurt managed to mutter 'yeah' back at him before he started fingering him.

Kurt decorated Sebastian's neck with clumsy kisses and let out a sharp gasp when the first finger went in. He kept his body still as the first few waves of pleasure coursed through him. Two weeks wasn't long enough for Kurt's body to forget how it felt to be stretched, but Sebastian took his time just to be sure. Soon Kurt was moving his body along with Sebastian's gentle thrusts with his fingers, and the friction of his body against Sebastian's cock was doing wonders for him as well.

"I'm good, Sebastian," Kurt muttered, sliding off of Sebastian so he could put the condom on. He got down on his knees and hastily tore open the package while he used his other hand to pump Sebastian's ready cock. "And luckily for the both of us, so are you." Kurt teased the tip of Sebastian's cock with his tongue until he made Sebastian moan.

"You'd better hurry or you'll miss your chance." It was a complete bluff, which Kurt had to know, but he rolled the condom on to his erection nonetheless.

Sebastian grinned as Kurt climbed back onto the couch. "Come're." His shaky hands held onto Kurt's waist as his boyfriend arched his body up to align himself. Once they were both at the right angle, Sebastian guided him to sink down until the tip of his cock parted Kurt's entrance and slipped inside.

He could have just been delusional with lust, but he swore Kurt's eyes were actually watering as he slid down, moaning when he was full to the hilt.

Kurt laughed, "Have I said how much I missed this?"

"Couple of times," replied Sebastian, who was chuckling as well now.

They giggled together, neither one caring how silly either of them looked, until the urge to move overpowered the cute moment. Kurt began to move himself upwards, coming back down to meet Sebastian's thrusts, and after a couple of tries they managed to get the perfect rhythm going. Like a well oiled machine, the sexual chemistry they shared came flooding back, as if their two week dry spell had never happened.

His hands still tightly grasping Kurt's waist, Sebastian kissed Kurt's adam's apple when he came back down again. "Fuck!"

"I know; I'm not gonna last much longer at this rate," Kurt grunted, planting his hands on the back edge of the couch, and the extra leverage that made it possible for him to put more force into his movements. Soon the only sound in the room was the sound of skin slapping against skin and the moans Sebastian and Kurt were both making as they urged each other towards release.

_'His thighs must be killing him,' _Sebastian realized, and moved his arms from Kurt's waist to his hips so he could help with the lifting and hopefully prevent his boyfriend's legs from giving out before he came. "Nearly there myself," he breathed to put Kurt at ease so he could keep grinding away without any guilt.

"Oh, thank god!" Kurt threw his head back as far as he could go while still holding firmly onto the back of the couch and shouted something that sounded like 'fwck'. But there was no time for Sebastian to tease Kurt about it, because his own orgasm was seconds away.

Kurt went for Sebastian's cock between their bodies and the light brush of contact was enough to push Sebastian off the edge and cry out his boyfriend's name as he came into his hand.

Kurt slumped back down on Sebastian, and just sat there slack and spent for a few minutes before he finally moved so Sebastian could slip out of him. He didn't go very far though, and pressed himself as close as possible against as Sebastian's chest, resting his chin on the dip between Sebastian's right shoulder and neck.

"So am I back in your good graces again?" Sebastian asked after he took care of the used condom.

Smirking, Kurt replied, "It's a start."

Kurt shut off the water and stepped out of the shower and took the fresh towel Sebastian handed him with a appreciate grin. He began to dry off his shoulders and let out a content sigh; they'd managed to have sex two more times before they both admitted they needed to take a long breather. Kurt didn't mind since he was feeling quite tired. The last two weeks had been unexpectedly busy for him; he'd gotten seven different modelling jobs in all, and a couple of those had spanned more than one day.

"I dunno about you, but I'm famished," Kurt said when he finished toweling off.

"Food sounds good right about now to me too." Sebastian handed Kurt his periwinkle blue cotton robe that had quickly become his favourite to borrow.

The couple headed into the kitchen next, where Sebastian, who was wearing his floral silk robe, fixed them up an easy meal of crackers, different cheeses and fruit. Kurt made them each a cup of peach tea (which had been a gift from Unique) and placed their mugs on the table along with the tea pot.

"I tell you Sebastian, as much as I love how much work I've been getting, I am so glad I have the whole weekend off to spend with you." Kurt massaged the sore spot on his shoulder, hoping to relieve some of the built up tension.

Sebastian gave Kurt a smug glance that was hard for him to decipher properly. He seemed to be in his usual high spirits, but Kurt couldn't shake the feeling that his attention was elsewhere. _'It's probably nothing,'_ he assured himself; Sebastian was most likely just tired from sex.

"I'm happy your career's taken off so well too; nobody deserves it better." Sebastian placed their platter of snacks in front of Kurt at the table. "But I'd be lying if I hadn't wished you were a tad less busy so I'd have more time to see you."

Kurt smiled; at least he was being honest. "Well I'm here now, so let's make the most of the next day and a half. We've already made good strides in the physical department, so why don't we catch up with each other's lives."

"Haven't we been doing that for the last two weeks already? Because I've got a phone full of text messages to prove that we have."

Okay maybe Kurt wasn't just imagining things then. "But now we get to in person and when we have more than a few hours." Kurt poured them each a glass of tea; he knew he'd gone a bit overboard talking about his modelling jobs and how amazing they were, but Sebastian hadn't voiced a word of complaint.

"How have things been with Paradis Bise?" Kurt knew from their conversations over the last two weeks that Sebastian was nearly done making Kurt's butterfly suit.

Sebastian popped a grape into his mouth. "We've made six outfits for sale, one of which has sold so far."

"One's sold? That's great!" Kurt exclaimed. Why hadn't Sebastian told him before now, and why was he acting nonchalant about it?

"It only sold because of my social connections." Sebastian shrugged. "Puck's offered to buy one though, and Sugar's claimed another if no one buys it in the next week."

"You just need to get more exposure for your brand. Have you considered making a website, or maybe putting some pieces up on etsy?" Kurt offered.

"Unique suggested something similar, and those ideas do have merit…" Sebastian wasn't bothering to look Kurt in the eye, which wasn't like him at all.

"But?" Kurt gently prodded, handing him his mug of tea.

Sebastian accepted the drink and sipped at it before bothering to reply. "But I've wondered if we should even bother." He set the mug down on the table and sighed, finally looked Kurt's way. "I've been doing some thinking these past few weeks…"

"About what?" Kurt's heart began to race in anticipation. He told himself there was nothing to worry about; his and Sebastian's relationship was stronger than ever. _'It is though?'_ Kurt didn't want to admit it, but something was different about Sebastian. He had seemed his flirtatious self at the time, but now as Kurt thought about it more, he realized he hadn't really shared his own thoughts lately.

What stopped Kurt from panicking was seeing the love in Sebastian's eyes as he reached out to take Kurt's hand. "About a lot of stuff: you, me, us… but mostly about my own life and what I want out of it…" He sighed again and was about to continue, but seeing the fear on Kurt's face stopped him. "Oh, babe, no… no…" he patted Kurt's hand. "I'm not breaking up with you."

Kurt let out a breath of relief. "I should hope you wouldn't do that right after having sex." He smiled sheepishly at Sebastian, who chuckled at him and shook his head at the very idea.

"I wouldn't dare," Sebastian assured. "You're the best thing that's happened to me, Kurt."

"This is about designing then I take it, and how you're unsure if you want to pursue it as a career anymore?"

Sebastian nodded. "I'd never give it up fully, I just feel like I'm losing my passion for it, and that is the last thing I want to happen. I've spent the last few years so bent on becoming some world famous fashion designer, and yet I never really stopped to think what that would really entail."

"You don't have to give it up, no matter what anyone else might say to you. I'm not sure if I'm the best one to give you advice about things like this, but I do know that it's okay to want something different. You have endless talent Sebastian, when I look at you I see a man with so many doors in front of him just waiting for you to open." Kurt wished he had more time to think of something better to say, but he hoped his sincerity of his words would compensate for that.

His attempts to offer Sebastian any further insight were interrupted when the doorbell suddenly rang. Kurt frowned. "Who could that be?" he asked Sebastian, who looked just as puzzled as him.

"No idea," Sebastian said. "Whoever it is isn't ringing excessively though, so that does rule out a couple of possibilities." The doorbell rang again a minute later, but only once.

"I guess the only way to know for sure is to answer it"

Sebastian rose from his chair and kissed Kurt on the cheek before heading over to the front door. Curiosity got the better of Kurt, who decided to follow him but he stopped when he reached the edge of the living room. He watched as Sebastian, who was still wearing only his silk robe, opened the door to see who had come a calling.

At first Sebastian didn't react at all, which was interesting, and made Kurt decide to see the visitor for himself. As he neared his boyfriend, he saw two hands reach out towards Sebastian's face, as if they were about to embrace him. Kurt stopped in his tracks; the long painted nails sured looked feminine to Kurt, but what woman would appear at Sebastian's doorstep at this hour? Terri came to mind, but the this person's skin tone was too dark to be Sebastian's mom.

Without any warning, Sebastian was slapped in the face by his female visitor, rending both him and Kurt too stunned to react. When Kurt was finally able to wrap his head around what had just happened, he lept into action, ready to protect his boyfriend from the would be assailant.

But Sebastian just let out a throaty laugh in response as rubbed his now sore jaw with his hand. Perplexed, Kurt stepped backwards until he was sure he was still safely out of sight, because such a reaction could only mean one thing: he was about to meet the infamous Santana Lopez.

'_Heaven help us,'_ Kurt thought.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter Notes: I thought I would know if the story will end chapter 21 or 22 chapters by now, but I'm actually not sure yet. At this point, it could be one of the two, so I suggest you check my tumblr account ( )to keep updated on that if you're curious. Either way, chapter 22 will be posted hopefully in four weeks. I'm sorry about adding an extra week on an already long wait. But work has kept me swamped so I haven't had as much time to write as I would liked. Rather than pushing myself to finish, I'd much rather end up with the best chapter I can write (or as near as I can with the time allotted lol). Thank you so much for everyone's patience. It's weird to be so close to the end now!

Chapter 20

The first time Santana had shown up at Sebastian's door had been pre-sex, and even though this second time was post, Sebastian still considered it the worse of the two. Santana's slap to his face had come at such a blur that he hadn't had any time to react, let alone move away. His jaw now throbbing, Sebastian stared at his attacker, and broke out laughing.

"Hello to you too, Santana," Sebastian finally said when he got a hold of himself.

Santana, who had been eying him with disdain as he had chuckled away, smiled at him, but in her usual bitchy and mocking way. "Don't you 'hello me', Smythe, like there's nothing going on!" She stomped right up to him, shoving herself into his physical space, her high heels making her almost his equal in height.

She jabbed a finger in his face and shook it vigorously. "I have half a mind to keep hitting you in the face in the hopes that it will knock some sense into your stubborn brain!"

"I've never seen you this heated up before." Sebastian knew exactly why she was acting so pissed of course, he was just choosing not to acknowledge it.

"Well you've never been this much of a stupid asshole before!"

No matter how big of a tantrum Santana planned to throw, Sebastian wasn't about to give her any sort of satisfaction. She had set the tone when she'd slapped him, not that he was outraged by it, because what was the point? Time had proved that the surest way to get the best of anyone was to act as nonchalant as possible.

"You better come inside before you disturb my innocent neighbours," Sebastian said, ushering her inside (he'd had his apartment soundproofed shortly before he'd moved in). He closed the door behind her and took her coat without her offering it, pulling off of her arms and hanging it on his ornate wooden coatrack.

It was then that Sebastian remembered about Kurt, who was standing in the living room silently staring at them. At first Sebastian tried to keep Santana from noticing his presence so he could make his escape, mouthing 'run' to his boyfriend, but it was no use, Santana's vision was too keen.

"Well, well, well, this must be your boyfriend that I've heard so much about," Santana said as she marched right over to Kurt and held out her hand. "It's Kurt, right?"

Kurt smiled back her with such believable sincerity Sebastian wanted to give him a loud round of applause.

"Yes it is, and you can only be Sebastian's old high school chum Santana Lopez, who _I've_ heard so much about." Kurt shook her hand. "I'm sorry I'm not properly dressed; Sebastian didn't tell me that _we _were expecting company tonight."

"That's because Santana neglected to tell me that she was stopping by," Sebastian said.

Santana turned around to face him. "I didn't want Sebastian to worm his way out of seeing me, so I decided that the element of surprise was my best bet."

"So why have you come, Santana? Not to reminisce about old times I gather?" Kurt asked with thinly veiled displeasure.

The temptation to see Kurt go head to head with Santana in all of his snarky glory was strong, and yet Sebastian knew if he didn't fill in his boyfriend Santana would, and knowing her she would use that against him to create a dramatic episode. And Sebastian wasn't about to have that; if he had to live through Santana insistent meddling then he was going to be the one calling the shots.

At least that was his plan, but Santana beat him to the punch. Marching over to Kurt, she laid her arm over his shoulder. "Let me sum it up for you, Kurt, since Sebby didn't bother to tell you yet: your pathetic excuse of a boyfriend has decided to throw his dreams away so he can become a fucking hair and makeup artist!"

Kurt shrugged his body away from Santana; his dumbstruck expression was probably the same one Sebastian had when Santana had slapped him. But as much as that physical blow had stung, it still didn't compare to having to watch Kurt guardedly bite his bottom lip as he tried to hide his surprise. It was so painfully obvious what Kurt was thinking right now; the words were so clear on his face. 'Why did he tell her first and not me?'

"I had no idea things had become so serious," Kurt said finally.

"That's typical withholding Sebastian for you, you think being a loving relationship would have changed that in him," Santana remarked.

Sebastian narrowed his eyes. "Don't force me to lock you in the bathroom." The threat was a total bluff, but his warning tone was enough to quiet her (for now). "You'll have to excuse Santana; she tends to jump to conclusions before checking her facts." This is what he got for telling her first; what had he even been thinking sending her that stupid e-mail? Oh right, he'd figured she would be the perfect trial run before he tackled telling Kurt and his local friends. _'Fucking lot of good that did though!'_

"I'm not jumping to a damn thing, Sebastian," Santana threw back. "You told me you're going to drop out of the designing program at SAIC!"

"What I actually said Santana, if you had read my e-mail properly, is that I was_ thinking_ of dropping out; I haven't decided for sure yet."

Santana snorted, "Oh please! You've clearly decided already and are just digging your heels." She jabbed a finger at Kurt. "Why else would you keep your boyfriend in the dark?"

"I was actually just about to tell him before you barged in on us!" Sebastian looked desperately over at Kurt, who hadn't said very much and that had him worried. He was tempted to kick Santana out so he could explain things to his boyfriend without her being an obnoxious third wheel, and if he thought she would have left without a fight, then he might have. But since he knew she wouldn't go quietly, he just decided to ignore her for as long as possible.

"I'm sorry Kurt, I should have told you sooner. I have no excuse…" Or none he wanted to give, even if Kurt had been so busy with work for the past few weeks. "All I'm asking is for you to listen to what I have to say, and then I'll do the same for you, because _your_ opinion matters the most to me."

Kurt cast a cool glance at Santana before nodding in agreement. He suggested they take a seat and Sebastian followed him over to the couch and sat down. Kurt was far enough away that they weren't touching but still close enough that he was within Sebastian's reach. Santana quietly strolled over to the arm chair and plopped down in it, crossing one leg over the other as she watched the pair with interest.

Just the fact that Santana was letting Sebastian speak his case was nothing short of a miracle, unless she had something up her sleeve, but that was a risk he would have to take. Sebastian took a deep breath as he tried to remember what he'd gone over in his head countless times. "As you know from our previous talks Kurt, I've been feeling unsure about my future when it comes to designing. I've had a lot to time to think about what other options could be out there for me over the past few weeks. And what I've realized is that I like hair and makeup almost as much as clothes, so I've been considering it as a career recently."

"And just like I told you after I read your email, I refuse to accept it, Sebastian! You have so much talent; becoming a professional designer is like your fucking destiny!" Santana interrupted. "Help me talk some sense into your boyfriend will you, Kurt?"

"I believe Sebastian asked if I would let him explain himself first," Kurt tartly reminded her.

"And you're actually going to let him? Making clothes is in Sebastian's blood! If you take designing away from this man then he'll be the emperor with no clothes! It won't be long before he'll lose all his swagger and passion for life!"

"I'm not going to give up making clothes all together, _Santana_." Sebastian had thought he'd made that very clear in the email he'd sent her. "I just won't be a designer for a living, it will become a much loved hobby for me, or possibly a side business. That way I can make the clothes I want to make and not the ones I'd have to if I we're making them for business." Now was the perfect time to deliver a backhanded remark to knock Santana down a peg or two. "Not all of us are lucky enough that the clothes they want to make coincides with the consumer world's needs."

Santana shrugged at him. "Why do you need to care, you're fucking loaded Sebastian, money never needs to be an issue for you."

"Except it's not my money; it's my dad's. If he were to die suddenly then my mom and I would be left with nothing." That wasn't exactly true, because Sebastian knew his dad would have left something for them, he was just too proud to find out what, or depend on it. "If I were the only one to be left with nothing to my name then I wouldn't give a shit." Sebastian hunched forward on the couch, resting his elbows on his knees. "But my mom isn't strong enough to live on her own. Which is why I can't be so careless in case there may come a time when I need to provide for the both of us."

"Is that also why you feel you need to drop out of the designing program? Because you can't allow yourself to waste four years of your life-and all that costly tuition-on something that might ultimately just become a hobby?" Kurt asked.

Sebastian smiled, barely keeping the love he felt for Kurt under control, but he did allow himself to touch his knee affectionately. "That's it almost exactly, Kurt," He gulped the catch in his throat; he was not going to break down when Santana was here. "Thank you for knowing me enough to understand my reasoning."

"Would you remain at SAIC and do a different program, or would you drop out altogether?" Nothing in Kurt's voice gave a hint of his own personal thoughts, which Sebastian didn't like; but he understood enough not to judge him for it.

"I'm still figuring that all out. I'd like to remain at SAIC if possible, but I doubt I'd need a college degree to make it as a hair and makeup artist."

"I believe Elliot got one though," Kurt pointed out. "And he seems to be doing very well career wise because of it."

Santana clapped. "Nicely said, Kurt."

Once Sebastian got over the fact that Santana had given Kurt a compliment-something that never came easily for her-Sebastian smirked at them both. "I think that has more to do with Elliott's talents than anything else. It's not like you need a college degree to become a successful hair and makeup artist. I'd still get a proper education, but I honestly know enough already and have the right connections to get started." Isabelle had teased that she would call him if she ever needed a last minute replacement during her spring show, and it was thanks to her cute little comment that Sebastian had a new venue to consider.

For the first time in what had felt like ages, Sebastian had begun to feel like he was finally back on track. He'd talked to Elliott about how he could start a career as a hair and makeup artist, but had pretended he was only pursuing it for a summer gig and not a full blown career. Sweet-natured Elliott hadn't suspected something else was going on and had helped Sebastian however he could; he'd even offered to have him work as his assistant for some of his bigger upcoming jobs.

Sebastian had tried to have it both ways and design clothes for Paradis Bise while he considered all these new options, but his attempts hadn't worked out so well. The only clothes he even remotely wanted to put any effort into was Kurt's butterfly motif suit. The fear that Sebastian would no longer be able to create outfits even for himself and his friends terrified him. He felt like the pressure to deliver was killing his creativity, and he didn't know how to overcome it.

"But what if you're wrong, Sebastian?" Santana spoke up, bringing Sebastian away from his thoughts. Her tone was softer this time, which made Sebastian more willing to listen to whatever she had to say. "What if you drop out of the designing program and SAIC all together to give being a hair and makeup artist is a try, only for you to realize that designing will always be more than just a hobby for you?" she asked.

"She has a good point Sebastian, I'd hate for you to lose your spot in the design program and the years you could have experienced learning the craft," Kurt said.

"Not to mention if you even managed to get back in the program again, or at another school, the fact that you dropped out-in only your freshman year-will follow you wherever you go. I cringe to think what would happen if the press were to catch wind of it…" Santana warned.

"Maybe it would be better for you to not act too hastily and stay in the program for now. You said it yourself after all, how you were still thinking about it and hadn't made up your mind yet," Kurt offered with an encouraging smile. Kurt was trying so hard not to sound pushy with his suggestions, which Sebastian appreciated, but that didn't mean he had to like them.

Kurt was siding with Santana! What the fuck? He didn't even know her! Annoyed by suddenly being ganged up on, Sebastian rose from the couch and stomped off, but he only made it two steps before he realized how immature he was acting.

"Ooh, I think we've hit a nerve," Santana taunted. "It's not like you to be so oversensitive, Sebby."

This time it wasn't Sebastian who reacted to Santana's rudeness, but Kurt, who stood up to stand in front of her, blocking her from Sebastian's vision. Even from the back Sebastian noted how his boyfriend was breathing heavily; he only could imagine how intimidating he looked right now.

But Santana didn't shy away from his formidable stare, she casually stood up so she could look him right in the eye. "If you've got something to say to me pretty boy, then you can just go ahead and say it, I'm not afraid of you and the weak bitch face you've got going on."

Instead of taking her advice, Kurt held his stance, and his voice lowered as he carefully enunciated his next words. "I don't care how close you and Sebastian once were, but don't you dare think for a second that I'm gonna sit here and listen to you talk to my boyfriend with such disrespect. You have no idea what he's been going through, and you have no right to tell him how he should live his life."

"Oh yeah? Well the same can be said about you too then. Because you didn't even know your boyfriend was going through these kinds of personal struggles in the first place." Santana shook her head at in him mock sympathy. "Sebby's told me all about how your modelling career is taking off and you no longer have time for him anymore." Her smile turned into a sneer. "Maybe if you'd been a bit more perceptive and less self-absorbed you would have noticed weeks ago and could have helped Sebastian with his troubles before he came crying to me via e-mail."

If things were different then Sebastian would have enjoyed at the idea of Kurt facing off against Santana, and he still got a thrill when his boyfriend had risen to his defence, but he knew better than lower his defenses completely. Santana's loose cannon tendencies meant that there was no telling what she could do to ensure she came out on top. And while Kurt was holding his own so far, his self confidence was still a work in progress and could potentially crumble away at any second. Sebastian decided to keep a close eye on them for now and see if he would need to step in to break things up before their argument could escalate into something potentially dangerous.

"If you're trying to make me feel guilty enough to back down then don't hold your breath," Kurt warned. "Whatever misgivings either of us have committed with communications is our business, and no one else's." He went over to where Sebastian was and wrapped his hands possessively around his boyfriend's arm. "I might agree with some of things you're saying, but I'm always going to be on Sebastian's side in the end."

Sebastian leaned in close to Kurt's ear and whispered, "I know it's hardly an appropriate time, but this assertive side of yours is really turning me on." Just as he had hoped, Sebastian's comment helped bring the tension back down enough for Kurt to playfully roll his eyes in reply.

"I wouldn't have told you first Santana, if I thought you would suddenly drop everything to come here all the way from London," Sebastian said with a snarky grin. It had to have been less than thirty-six hours since he'd sent the mail too. This sure explained why she had gone into radio silence after he'd sent his reply. At the time Sebastian had foolishly thought she had given up and gone back to ruining her own life.

Now Santana was the one to roll her eyes. "There you go again thinking the entire world revolves around you. It might amaze you to learn that I didn't come here for you at all; I was planning to visit home for the break already and was just about to buy my plane tickets when I got your e-mail. All I did after reading it was look for an earlier flight so I could get to you before you went and did something truly idiotic like dropping out of SAIC without thinking it through."

"Does she not hear herself?" Kurt whispered to Sebastian, who had to resist smirking.

"I think the best thing for all of us now is if Kurt and I were given some privacy so we can talk things through." He held his arms up to stop Santana from arguing with him. "I promise not to make any rash decisions just yet, and I will contact you beforehand okay?"

Either the lateness of the hour, Kurt's icy stare, Sebastian's pleading look, or the combination of all three ended up being enough for Santana to start acting reasonable. She let out a tired sigh and bent over to pick up the heels she'd kicked off before sitting down in the arm chair. "All right, I'll give you this one, but only if you keep your word." She walked up to Kurt. "It was nice meeting you finally, Kurt, but I hope the next time won't be so dramatic."

"That makes two of us," Kurt replied with a surprising smile.

"Love the robe by the way; periwinkle blue is definitely your colour," She added with a wink as she passed him on the way to the door.

Sebastian mouthed to Kurt 'I'll be right back' before he followed her out into the hallway. He didn't even care that he wasn't properly dressed since he'd been in this hallway in only underwear before (though never fully nude because even he had his standards). Once the door was closed behind him, Sebastian considered what he should say to this person he still cared about, in spite of her meddling tendencies.

"I hope you're not too pissed with me, Sebby," Santana said softly.

"I haven't decided what the full extent of my anger towards you is yet." Though the fact that he was using fancy words should give her a hint. "But I guess your actions weren't too horrible, all things considered." Sebastian actually meant it too, and he was mature enough to know that Santana's heart was in the right place. "I just wish your timing was better."

"At least I didn't interrupt you right before you two were about to have sex. I actually arrived a couple hours ago but I figured I'd give you guys some time to get it on." Santana admitted as she smoothed the wrinkles out of her black and white striped dress.

"You're too kind."

Santana smirked at him, but in her own quirky way that Sebastian loved. "Look, I know I can be a lot to handle most of the time, but I consider you one of the few people-if not the only one-who can take the heat and still see where I'm coming from. It might feel like I'm pushing you way too hard with how I'm constantly pestering you to not give up on designing… and to come to London." She reached out to brush the loose strand of hair out of Sebastian's eyes. "But I'm only acting this way because I know you're destined for great things, Sebby, and I'd hate to see you miss out on it all."

It was so like her to wait until they were alone to turn all sincere. "I'm a big boy; I can take care of myself just fine, Santana." He put his hand over hers for a second and then let go so he could smooth down his ruffled hair on his own. "We'll be in touch, okay." Sebastian waited for her to add one last cutting remark but to his surprise, she just nodded.

Santana waited until Sebastian was gone until she turned around to face the closed door. "Then why do you sound so unsure of yourself?" She asked softly to herself.

Kurt was changing into a pair of navy with white dash printed cotton pyjamas by Oliver Spencer when Sebastian stepped into the bedroom. "So did Satan-na leave of her own free will or did you need to take any forceful actions?" he asked with a playful grin as Sebastian neared him. If only choosing a nickname for his boyfriend could have been as easy.

Sebastian took Kurt by the shoulders and gave them a little squeeze as he kissed him on the neck. "She went without putting up a fight, but she'll be back." Kurt frowned at that and Sebastian chuckled. "I'll keep in contact with her so she won't ruin the rest of our weekend together though." Sebastian looked over at the bed where Kurt had put out a pair of grey pyjama pants and a white cotton t-shirt for him and untied his robe so he could get changed.

"You handled yourself amazingly well with her, Kurt."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "_Barely_, though it's sweet of you to say so." He finished tying the drawstring on his pants and went over to the night stand. He doubted there would be anymore sex for them tonight, but maybe that was for the best, since he and Sebastian had a lot of talking to do. "The only reason I managed to hold back my temper was because I was afraid my robe would pop open and reveal more than I wanted her to see."

"She should only be so lucky," Sebastian flirted with sultry eyes as he put his pants on.

It wasn't late enough in the evening for Kurt to start his usual night time skin regimen so he just played with his hair until it looked a bit less messy.

"I really was going to tell you what's been going on with me tonight, Kurt. I wasn't just saying that to shut Santana up," Sebastian assured once he'd finished changing.

Kurt turned around on the vanity bench and smiled softly. "That's why I'm still here, well, that and how I'm also to blame. I should have realized…" Everything he thought of saying next just sounded like stupid excuses, but he had to try. "I got so wrapped up in my exciting new life that I lost sight of what mattered most to me." Kurt sighed. _'Some moral centre I turned out to be.' _

"We've all been there." Sebastian sat down on the bench and put his arm around Kurt's shoulder. "I know I have, multiple times; I used to get so swept up in my designs that I forgot about everything else."

It didn't escape Kurt that Sebastian had used past tense, and the mere thought that Sebastian was losing his passion for designing filled him with sadness. "I wish I knew how to help you, Sebastian," Kurt whispered, resting his head against Sebastian's shoulder.

Sebastian rubbed Kurt's shoulder with his hand. "Hey, cheer up; it's not like I'm expecting you to have all the answers. I just want to hear your thoughts, babe." It amazed Kurt that Sebastian could act so calm and collected when he was the one who was questioning his life choices.

"Even when they're a jumbled chaotic mess?" Kurt was overexaggerating of course, but he couldn't help feeling that way.

"By all means lay it on me, and who knows, just hearing someone else's perspective might be exactly what I need right now."

"All right, I'll give it my best shot," Kurt muttered. He quickly went through the facts he now knew and tried to consider all of Sebastian's options. Maybe that was the problem; there were too many options to sort through and too many subsequent consequences to even factor in. _'Or maybe I'm just overthinking things like I always do.'_ Kurt tried to imagine what he would do if he were in Sebastian's shoes, but the idea of losing his passions (which he had just started to find) was difficult for him to comprehend.

"The thought I keep coming back to are memories of the times I've seen you at SAIC, and even though there weren't many, I could tell how much you were in your element, Sebastian; you belonged there, so I'd hate to see you leave and miss out on so many wonderful opportunities."

"I see your point, but I think that's more because I'm an adaptable guy who can fit in anywhere," Sebastian pointed out.

Kurt smirked. "Oh, believe me I'm well aware that you are." He'd seen it countless times and envied his boyfriend's ability to adjust to any situation he found himself in. Sebastian was the sort of person who could easily draw people in and become the centre of attention in an instant, but he could also push everyone away just as fast. "But it's understandable that you'd feel most at home at a designing arts school full of passionately creative people."

"I'm not saying I'm not enjoying my time at SAIC, but I can let myself waste all that money-that isn't even mine to begin with-or the next three years of my life just so I can keep having fun."

It was hard for Kurt to believe what he was hearing and for it to be coming from Sebastian; things were far more serious than he'd originally thought. The way Sebastian was talking, it sounded as if he were trying to convince himself he'd made a big mistake (or a bunch of them actually) when he'd enrolled at SAIC for fashion design. And if that was what was going on, then Kurt needed to step up his game and give his boyfriend one hell of a reality check!

"Sebastian," Kurt said in a firm voice, and just in case Sebastian didn't get the message, he furrowed his brows too. "You've only just finished your freshman year of college! A year is not enough time to know one way or the other. I mean, you've loved designing for a really long time, so are you honestly ready to give it up and drop out of the designing program you fought so hard to get into in the first place?" There had to be more going on than Sebastian not wanting to make clothing for sale.

Sebastian smiled, but in a smug sort of way that he often did when he wanted to push people's buttons. In this case it was probably a defense mechanism, but either way Kurt wasn't going to back down.

"Why is that you and Santana both have seemed to have forgotten that SAIC wasn't even my dream in the first place: studying abroad was. But when that big dream of mine didn't come true, I adapted and took a different road, and yes, I haven't had much time to make a real assessment, but this is me, Kurt, a man who has known what he wants from an early age."

Suddenly things were starting to fall into place for Kurt. "That's what this is all about isn't it, you no longer know what you want out of life and that scares you." Kurt placed his hands on Sebastian's shoulders, both to comfort him and to make sure he wouldn't try to walk away.

"I don't know," Sebastian said in frustration; the doubt in his eyes was so painstakingly visible. "How am I-" Sebastian's words fell, along with his arms to the side of his body. "How am I supposed to get my shit together if every time I think I've made the right choice, I end up failing instead!"

"Do you regret enrolling at SAIC instead of going overseas for college then?" Kurt asked point blank in the hope it would distract Sebastian from his rising anger.

Sebastian's face softened and he cracked a small smile. "Never," he breathed, resting his forehead against Kurt's upper arm. "Not when it's the reason I gained friends like Unique, Sugar and Puck, who all love designing as much as I do." He sat up and reached out to Kurt's face, cupping the sides of it. "And it's the reason I met you, Kurt, so no, I'll never regret enrolling there…" He glanced to the side; eye contact had always been hard for Sebastian when things got too emotional. "But I can't let myself stay there because of sentimental reasons."

It was sounding more and more like Sebastian had already made his mind up about dropping out of SAIC to Kurt. Which put him in a difficult place because Kurt himself had left his school in the hopes of finding one better suited for him. Their situations were different of course; Kurt had just gone along with his parent's wishes and picked the most prestigious schools in the area and had enrolled in the highest one on the list that had accepted his application.

"It's your decision in the end, and I'll support whichever one you do make…" Kurt hesitated for a moment. "But I still stand by my thoughts from earlier; I think you shouldn't make any hasty decisions yet. Maybe do some hair and makeup work over the summer and see how you like it and what kind of jobs there are for you without a degree before you decide to drop out of the design program."

"So kind of like what you're doing with modelling then?" Sebastian said, his smile brightening a little. "You are still planning to go to college right?" Now he was smirking at Kurt.

Kurt welcomed the chance to share some playful banter with his boyfriend, even if it was at his expense. "Yes I'm still planning to go to college still. It's just been hard to find the free time to look into it with all the work I've been getting." Kurt rolled his eyes at his smug boyfriend, though on the inside he was overjoyed at his swift recovery. "But there's no reason to worry, mainly because I doubt my mom would let me forget with the way she's been _reminding_ me about it." Kurt couldn't count how many times he'd found college brochures and pamphlets placed around the house for him to discover.

"And here you are doing the same for me, you are your mother's son after all then," teased Sebastian, who winked at him cheekily.

"You don't need to sell your designs in stores for you to become successful Sebastian," Kurt said, changing the subject back to his boyfriend. "I bet there are lots of ways for you to get your creations out there and for it still to be a career… though none come to mind right now though." Dammit! Kurt had been so close to giving actual advice. He tried to go from a different direction to make up for his epic fail. "But at the same time, it wouldn't hurt to have a college degree for any of the lines of work you might want to pursue." Not much better, but it would have to do he supposed. "You have so many talents you can always fall back on if designing-or even becoming a hair and makeup artist-doesn't turn out the way you planned."

Kurt decided to just give up trying to give his boyfriend career advice and simply kissed him softly. The moment their lips touched Sebastian responded and kissed him back. The embrace was short but sweet and hopefully left Sebastian feeling as renewed as Kurt did.

Sebastian's wicked smile seemed to suggest it had. "I tell you what, let's work on both our problems together. Get your phone out."

Kurt eyed him. "Why?" After spending so much time in front of a camera posing, Kurt really wasn't in the mood for an impromptu shoot right now.

"Because I'm gonna google 'good college programs for models in Chicago' while you're googling 'good college programs for hair and makeup artists in Chicago' and we'll both see what we'll come up with," Sebastian explained. Even though he was clearly being serious, he somehow managed to make 'come up with' sound like an innuendo. "And just to cover all of the bases, we'll google for 'good jobs' for both of those too."

While Kurt doubted it would be that easy-because he'd searched similar phrases on the internet already-he was willing to give it another go. Because what mattered was that he and Sebastian were in each other's corners and ready to go the distance to help one another. What Kurt wanted most was for Sebastian to stop feeling so lost and see his own talents as much as Kurt did.

Kurt wasn't sure how he'd accomplish that yet, but he had a few ideas, a number of which included sexy photoshoots.

_'Good thing we'll have our phones at the ready,'_ Kurt thought in amusement.

With a whole day to spend together, Sebastian finally had a chance to dress Kurt up in tacky clothing to see if he actually did look good in whatever he wore. After some quick consideration, Sebastian had decided that they should go to a local discount outlet store. It hadn't taken very long to find some truly out of this world items that were cheap enough to justify buying for their fun little project. Sebastian's arms were full of various outfit combinations for his boyfriend to try on, but on their way to the dressing rooms, Kurt had stopped to look at something, which had led to him going into full blown shopping mode.

Sebastian would have told him to wrap it up, but getting to see the delight on Kurt's face as he kept finding things he wanted to buy was a treat to watch. But as much as he was enjoying it, Sebastian's arms couldn't take all this weight for much longer.

"I'm gonna go take our findings to the dressing room and put your tacky ensembles together while you shop okay, babe?" Sebastian called.

Kurt looked up from the shirt he was admiring. "Oh, sure. I'm sorry I'm taking so long, there's just so much amazing stuff here and at such great deals!" His eyes went to amount of clothes Sebastian was holding and he put the shirt away. "Let me help you with that though; I can always do this later."

"There's no need, I've got it, so you can shop to your heart's content, babe," Sebastian insisted. "Or for the next ten minutes at least."

That was all the persuasion Kurt needed to go back to trying to decide what he might want to buy with his money from modelling. Grinning to himself, Sebastian left Kurt to his own happy devices and carried his heavy load over to the fitting rooms. He quickly found an empty room and lugged himself inside to claim it. A less refined person might have dumped the clothes onto the bench, but Sebastian would never dream of it. With impressive maneuverability, he carefully put the clothes down and began to sort each article of clothing so he could piece them together correctly. Sebastian gave the project as much care and focus as he would a classy ensemble (because even horrible fashion deserved to be done well).

"Now should I put the tragically baggy pants with the busy print sweater, or go a whole different direction and try it with the suspenders and tight checkered shirt?" Sebastian asked himself.

Before he could answer, his cell phone rang. Sebastian reached to answer it and paused when it saw who it was from. _'Oh, what the hell,'_ he thought as he thumbed the answer button.

"Santana, I didn't expect to hear from you again so soon," Sebastian said, not even bothering to hide the sarcasm from his voice.

"I did say we'd keep in touch and we both know it's up to me to make sure that happens. I'm just calling to see if things are okay with you and Kurt, because I'd hate to be the reason for you two to drift apart..." She wasn't even trying to be least bit subtle today; was she bored of Chicago life already or something?

Sebastian rolled his eyes. "Kurt and I are fine, Santana." He was about to tell her they were out on a shopping date, until he realize revealing anything about their location was a bad idea. Not that he was trying to avoid her exactly, he just wanted Kurt all to himself today.

"Glad to hear it. So did Kurt make you _come_ to your senses and not do something as idiotic as giving up on designing as a career?" Santana's ability to sound completely sincere even when every other word was an innuendo was incredible.

Contrary to what some people liked to believe, being a smart alec who always always knew just what to say wasn't easy. Sebastian was having trouble sorting through possible snarky retorts and time was of the essence here. He didn't feel like stating the truth, which was that his and Kurt's attempts to search online for answers had eventually led to them looking up far rancier searches that in turn had resulted in them having sex two more times that night (procrastination at its best). It wasn't her business and she would probably scold him about messed up life priorities, and even imagining that made him feel irritable.

"You shouldn't worry about my career paths or where they're going either," Sebastian said.

"I just hate to see you so lost, Sebby," Santana cooed.

"I know." He could tell how much she did care for him just in her voice. "But I'm honestly doing all right." Sebastian went up on his tip toes to look over the dressing room door for signs of Kurt but saw none. "I'll talk more about this over coffee, or lunch, or something in the next few days when I'm free, but right now, I'm on a date with Kurt so-"

"Say no more," interrupted Santana. "But before I go, there's something I've been meaning to ask you: does Kurt know about _every_ intimate detail of our friendship, Sebby?"

Sebastian frowned; he knew exactly what she was referring to. "Not yet." Sebastian was glad that Kurt hadn't shown up yet now. "I'm not hiding it from him; I just haven't found the right time to tell him yet." Why did that sound like such a pathetic excuse? It was a legitimate reason for fucksakes!

"I'm surprised you'd risk keeping yet another thing from him."

Sebastian sighed, "Why are you asking me anyway?" Personal blackmail came to mind.

"I don't want to tell Kurt by accident in case he didn't know."

"How would that even happen?" Sebastian opened the door to the dressing room; Kurt's ten minutes was well over by now.

"Who can say; it could slip out by accident. I'm just trying to look out for you, Sebby. Though if I were you, I'd man up and tell Kurt yourself, because I was hoping we could all go out together sometime while I'm here. Kurt and I didn't get off on best foot there, and I'd hate for him to think I'm like that all of the time," Santana explained.

Even though Santana was basically blackmailing Sebastian into telling Kurt about a rather delicate subject, he knew she was right. "I'll have to check with Kurt and go over my own schedule, but we can probably see you at some point." He turned his sights back on the clothes he'd picked out during their call to make up for lost time.

It was at this point when Kurt appeared so Sebastian muttered a quick goodbye to Santana and abruptly ended the call. Sebastian smiled charmingly at his approaching boyfriend, who was carrying an arm full of clothes that looked too trendy to be for their fun little fashion experiment.

"Took you long enough," Sebastian teased as he kept grinning away.

Kurt playfully rolled his eyes, and threw his armload over the open door of the dressing room next to Sebastian's. "I know, I'm sorry; I guess I lost track of time, but I kept on finding so many things I want to try on!"

"Been there." Sebastian selected the one ensemble he had managed to finish before Santana's call and held it out to his boyfriend. "Let's try a couple of my choices for kicks and then you can show me what you've found."

"Sounds good to me," Kurt replied, kissing him on the cheek before taking the outfit and walking into the changing room he had just put his clothes on the door. "Oh, god Sebastian! This outfit is ridiculous!" Kurt blurted out a moment later with barely controlled giggling.

The beautiful sound was music to Sebastian's ears and exactly what he needed to hear right now. "That is the point you do realize." He went back into the room he'd commandeered beside Kurt's and continued sorting through the other clothes he'd picked out. Telling Kurt what had to be his biggest secret wouldn't be easy, but he knew he had to do it. In a weird way, Sebastian owed Santana for forcing his hand, and knowing her, that had been her plan from the start.

But as much as Sebastian knew he couldn't stall anymore, he wasn't about to tell Kurt in an outlet clothing store. So he would allow himself to enjoy a fun filled shopping date full of seeing his boyfriend in various fashion faux pas ensembles, and then later on-once they were in the privacy of his apartment- he would bite the bullet and let the truth out.

After spending an educating (and entertaining) hour and a half putting Kurt in a variety of ridiculous clothing, Sebastian suggested they grab some food to go and head back to his apartment to eat. Kurt, who had no idea of his boyfriend's hidden agenda, instantly agreed and went ahead and chose their meal for the night.

Sebastian couldn't wait to go over all the photos he'd taken of Kurt on his phone, and take even more with his professional camera in the two sets of clothes he'd bought from the discount store. Just like Sebastian had assumed, Kurt did look good in everything he'd worn, but there were noticeable differences of course. And Sebastian doubted that everyone would hold the same high opinion of Kurt if they saw in in those horrendous 80s parachute pants he had tried on.

"I think the next party I throw should be a wacky wear theme one," Sebastian declared as he helped Kurt put out their food on the kitchen table.

"That could be fun. My birthday is coming up soon, but I'm not sure I'd want it for that," Kurt admitted with a smirk.

"I think we can do better than that babe; it's not every day you turn twenty after all." Sebastian had a few ideas for what they could do for Kurt's birthday, and he would put those plans in motion soon enough. But right now there was the matter of ensuring that he and Kurt would still be together two weeks from now when the big day came, and to do that, Sebastian would have to tread very carefully.

He was tempted to wait until he could casually slip the topic into their conversation, but that felt too much like stalling to him, so Sebastian decided to be more direct. Even the direct approach required a little preparation though which was why Sebastian prefered to either just keep his secrets to himself or to blurt them out for people's reactions.

"Just make sure you keep your birthday surprises to a minimum, Sebastian," Kurt said in his quintessential flirty tone that Sebastian wished he could follow up with some playful banter, but alas, it was time to be an adult.

"I'm not making any promises, but while we're not the subject of your birthday party, would you prefer if Santana wasn't invited? I know you don't really know her that well yet, but she will be in town for it."

Kurt picked up his fork and ate a few bites of his rice. "I'm not sure, I don't want to say no right out, because she is a close friend of yours, but my encounters with her so far haven't put her in the best light."

"As far as Santana encounters go, I'd say you've gotten off pretty easily, babe. But from what I've seen so far Kurt, I think you two should get along just fine. Nothing earns her respect faster than someone who can spar with her and I think it's safe to say that you've already proven yourself there." Sebastian was sure they would argue and bicker constantly still, but that was usually how Santana showed her affection.

"I'll try to keep an open mind then and give her another chance to win me over before my birthday's here," Kurt said.

"I'd really appreciate it Kurt, and I'd be happy to show you some of that appreciation in the bedroom tonight." As long as Kurt was still in the mood for sex that is, but Sebastian was trying to remain as optimistic as possible.

"While I'm not proud to admit it, the fact that she's a lesbian and therefore obviously not someone you've slept with does make it easier for me to warm up to her."

Sebastian, who had his mouth full of thai rice, was so caught off guard by Kurt's ironic comment that he nearly ended up choking. And even though he'd managed not to, his reaction was still dramatic enough for Kurt to notice and his suspicious frown made Sebastian want to kick himself. He just hadn't expected for Kurt to say that! "Um, actually… Kurt…" He pretended that his hesitance was due to nearly choking rather than him not wanting to own up to truth yet. "I'm afraid your assumptions are incorrect there."

"Which one?" asked Kurt, who clearly didn't want there to be any misunderstandings.

"The one about Santana and I not having slept together," Sebastian answered truthfully.

Kurt mouth fell open and he put down the glass of iced tea he had been about to drink from. "But you're… and she's… but you're both gay!" He paused, no doubt to let the information fully sink in. "And you told me you've known you were gay from a young age!"

In a moment of weakness, Sebastian forgot who he was speaking with and fell back on his habit of using snark. "So what of it? Are you saying that just because I came out in my early teens means I'm not allowed to experiment with my sexuality for some reason?" Sebastian narrowed his eyes in distaste. "Why is it that whenever a gay man admits he's had sex with a woman, he's suddenly shunned from the community, especially if it happened after he's come out. I'm not even going to comment on the horrible treatment of bixsexual people! And no, I'm not saying I am one all of a sudden. I'm still as gay as the day I was I born Kurt, and that's never going to change, and Santana's still a lesbian even though she spent the better part of her high school years fucking guys."

The sudden rush he got from venting out his frustrations lasted only for a second, all it took was to look Kurt's way to remember where he was. Sebastian didn't need to ask Kurt to know he was far from amused; his rigid stance, crossed arms and burning eyes were more than enough. Rather than making up excuses, Sebastian took a deep breath to calm himself back down. "Sorry."

The apology seemed to be enough for Kurt, who uncrossed his arms. "I'm sorry too." Kurt replied softly. "I shouldn't have said that to you, Sebastian; I was surprised and handled it badly."

"Let's try this again," Sebastian began, holding his hand out to Kurt, who smiled as he graciously took it. "Kurt, I know I should have told you a lot sooner, but Santana and had sex during our senior year of high school. I know it will come as a surprise, I need you to know it changes nothing between us. Santana is, and always has been just a friend of mine; I'm still gay-not that being bi would change things, but it's still men all the way for me, and I'm still hopelessly in love with you."

Following his boyfriend's lead, Kurt smiled as he gave Sebastian's hand an affectionate squeeze. "Thank you for telling me Sebastian, it's sure surprising to hear, and while it might take me a little time to wrap my head around, I love you just as much as I always have-and you're still a bonafide gay in my books."

Sebastian felt the tension in his body leave him, making it possible for him to go back to eating his dinner and Kurt happily did the same. He hoped this was a life lesson he would never forget, and hopefully wouldn't need to repeat anytime soon. But luckily for him, there weren't any more secret trysts with women Sebastian needed to confess to his boyfriend. There were some sexy tales, like the time he'd ended up having a foursome that had started out as a threesome, as well as a few other momentous sexual experiences, but none of them were so super scandalous that Sebastian felt he should mention them right this second.

"So what was it like?" Kurt asked with a shy smile.

"You mean what was it like having sex with a woman?" Kurt nodded and Sebastian's eyes lit up with interest. "I love that you're asking me, babe." No one had ever asked him before, which meant he didn't have a pre-thought-up answer to give. "Well for starters, Santana and I were half drunk to begin with so my memory of the event isn't that great, but from what I can recall: it was good. Which shouldn't come to too much of a surprise, since Santana was well-versed with men's bodies… it was a little trickier for me, but I think I did pretty damn good given the circumstances. I don't think I would have enjoyed myself nearly as much-or at all-if I'd done it with someone other than Santana though. We trusted one each other completely, and our friendship took a lot of the awkwardness away; we laughed a lot. Santana wasn't above telling me what to do either, so that helped as well." Though some of those requests had been barked out in the throw of passion; it was amazing they'd both gotten each other off at all really-looking back at it now.

Sebastian leaned forward on the table, resting his chin on his crossed arms. "We only had sex once and when it was over, we spent the rest of the night cuddled up on the couch in PJs watching trashy reality TV. I have no regrets, my curiosity was satisfied that night and I've never felt any urge to give it another go."

"Just hearing what it was like from you is enough to satisfy my own curiosity I think," Kurt admitted.

"Well if you ever do want to know more, Santana would be only happy to tell you what having sex with women is like."

Now Kurt was the one who almost choked on his food, only in his case, it was from laughter.

_~One week later~_

Kurt had just been released from his modelling duties for the day and was back in his own clothes when he got a call from Sebastian. Giddy at the idea of hearing Sebastian's smooth voice, Kurt scrambled for his phone and hit the answer button on the third ring.

"Sebastian! I'm so glad you called," Kurt said with far too much excitement, but no one from the shoot was around to hear him so screw it.

"Are you growing tired of your fabulous new life as a model already?" Sebastian made a couple of disappointed "tsks" before adding, "You've only been getting jobs for the past month and a half so I'd wouldn't be so quick to quit if I were you."

"I'm just happy to talk to you, or I was," Kurt explained. "Ever since you started getting work as a hair and makeup artist it's been almost impossible for us to see one another."

"You were the one who suggested I should take some jobs."

Of course Sebastian would have to point that out. "I know, I know, and I'm really happy for you…" And slightly jealous of how easily Sebastian had found work, though a lot of it had to do with his connections in the industry. "I just wish our schedules didn't conflict so much. Speaking of which, are you free this coming Thursday? I was planning on checking out some colleges and I thought you might like to join me."

"I wish I could babe, but Elliott asked me if I could take on some of his local jobs so he could accept a big gig in Milan, Italy, the lucky bastard, though if anyone deserved it, it would be him," Sebastian mournfully explained. "What about Monday? I've got some time then."

"Monday's no good for me; I have a shoot that will take most of the day then." Kurt didn't want to wait too long either, because time was running out to apply, even for the winter semester with the rate he was going. "I guess it can't be helped."

"Sorry I can't go with you, babe." And he really did sound sorry too, which made Kurt miss him even more.

"It's all right, but please tell me we can meet up sometime tonight. I don't care how late it is either. It's been way too long since we've seen one another." Anything beyond twenty-four hours felt unbearable and they were nearing an agonizing thirty-six hour period apart.

Kurt heard someone call Sebastian's name and a muffled conversation he could only half hear followed, but it thankfully only lasted a minute or two.

"I should be done in… roughly four hours from now, so I'll call you then and we'll see what we feel _up_ to."

Things must be getting bad if even that tiny come-on was making him smile so much. Four hours alone wasn't Kurt's idea of a fun filled night, but he reminded himself he'd spent the better part of his life as a loner, so what was a few hours compared to that. There had to be something Chicago's Loop district could offer him, and if not, he could always go to Sebastian's apartment and wait for him there. _'There's hundreds of cute cat video on Youtube I hadn't seen yet if all else fails.' _

"Good, now all I need now is to find someone who can go on my college tours with me." Kurt knew he could go alone if push came to shove, he'd just rather bring someone along to keep him company and give their own feedback.

"You could always ask your mom, I'm sure she'd be thrilled to join you," Sebastian offered, snickering.

Kurt shuddered at the thought. "_No_, she went with me when I applied at college for the first time and that was bad enough." He knew things were different now, and while the choice would ultimately be his in the end, Kurt feared his mom would revert to her controlling ways. The last thing he wanted was to lose all the headway they'd made, so it was better for the both of them if she didn't go with him.

"You should ask Sugar, and Unique, you know they'd be thrilled, and if neither of them can go, you can always try Puck as a last resort."

Kurt had planned to ask them next, but he and Sebastian weren't the only ones with full schedules this summer. As it turned out, Puck was busy touring around Chicago playing gigs with his band (Kurt hoped he could make it to at least one show), while Unique was busy participating in a transgendered fashion show event that Kurt was in full support of (which he hoped to attend too), and as for Sugar, she was busy working as her aunt Isabelle's new assistant. Kurt was happy for all of them, but he still missed hanging out with his friends.

If Kurt weren't so busy himself, he doubted he could have managed being away from them so much, but it still hadn't been easy.

"And I can always go alone if need be." Kurt wasn't about to put his college plans on hold just because things weren't going perfectly to plan.

"I think seeing visiting potential colleges should help you find your top choices, Kurt. And I should have more free time once Elliott's back, so I'll try to check out your top three with you at least."

Kurt smiled; this was just the incentive Kurt needed to get his college list going. "How are you enjoying your work? Could you see yourself being a hair and makeup artist by day and a part-time designer by night?" Kurt asked playfully as he walked towards the bus stop.

"It can be a bit hectic, especially because of how stressed the people around me have been, but I'm owning it like a boss, babe. My employers seem happy with my work as well; I wouldn't be surprised if filling in for Elliott will lead to many more jobs in the future."

Which would keep Sebastian away from Kurt, wonderful, and yet Kurt was happy for his boyfriend of course. Though a part of him couldn't help but wonder if Sebastian was embellishing his success just a little. Either so Kurt wouldn't worry, or to convince himself that he'd made the right choice.

"Just make sure you leave my birthday weekend open like you promised, because I'm barely holding my excitement in as it is, after all the hype you've been making." No matter how busy Sebastian got with work, he always found the time to send teasing texts about his upcoming birthday festivities.

The happiness in Sebastian's voice was so clear Kurt knew he was smiling even though he couldn't see him. It had been a while since Kurt had heard his boyfriend so excited about something work related. Maybe becoming a hair and makeup artist who also dabbled in designing as a much loved hobby wouldn't be so bad after all. Sebastian certainly seemed to have adapted to the change and was enjoying it. But could Sebastian ever be truly happy if he wasn't creating stunning outfits as a career?

Kurt had no clue, and at the moment, he honestly felt no need to ask Sebastian any of these questions. It was early days yet, Sebastian had the rest of summer break to decide if he'd stay at SAIC or not, so Kurt wasn't going to let himself worry.

After spending twenty minutes window shopping in the Loop, Kurt decided to head for Sebastian's apartment before boredom caused him to do something reckless like eat an entire cheesecake or max out his new credit card buying high priced clothing. Kurt would have surprised his boyfriend with a home cooked meal, except he didn't know how to cook, and he couldn't be sure that Sebastian wouldn't be delayed. In the end, he decided to grab some light snack food on his way home in case his boyfriend came home feeling hungry.

Kurt had planned to watch some episodes of Project Runway, but as soon as Kurt saw Sebastian's front door around the hallway bend, everything changed, because leaning against it was Santana Lopez. Her eyes were on her cellphone and she looked as if she had been locked out of her apartment and was casually waiting for someone to bring their spare key.

It would have easy for Kurt to turn around and leave, but why should he? Santana was the one who had shown up uninvited. He wondered what Sebastian would do if he were faced with the same scene as he peered around the corner to watch her warily. She was wearing a pair of blue jeans with a hot pink top instead of a dress for a change, and the more casual look suited her just as nicely.

_'Sebastian wouldn't shy away from confrontation, he'd face her head on and act as if her arrival was nothing out of the blue,'_ Kurt thought, and while he wasn't sure he could act so nonchalant, he was sure going to try!

Channeling his inner model, Kurt walked towards the front door with his head held high and his walls fully up. Whatever Santana was checking out on her phone seemed to be enough to keep her from noticing Kurt as he walked towards her-either that or she was just ignoring him.

"May I help you?" Kurt asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Santana put away her phone and greeted Kurt with a warm smile that quickly changed into a smirk. "You could do us both a favour and invite me in so we don't have to stand out in the hallway; I've been waiting here for fifteen whole minutes."

"If you'd bothered to contact Sebastian beforehand you would have found out he's not going to be home for hours."

"I did that already, and when I found out he was still at work, I marched myself over here so I could wait for you to show up."

"You're here to see me?" Kurt narrowed his eyes. "Why?" Another thought came to mind. "And how did you even know I'd be here?"

Santana rolled her eyes. "It's not like it's hard to track people down these days what with social media. A quick google search brought me to your cute little twitter account. I dunno how you've managed to keep ten followers with such boring and pointless tweets, but I gotta admit your photo of the buckingham fountain was actually pretty decent looking-Sebastian's photographic talents must be rubbing off on you or something."

How was it that Santana could give someone a compliment while insulting them at the same time? His arm still crossed, Kurt kept his opinions to himself, though it wasn't easy, and tried his best not to give any sort of visible reaction to her little jabs.

"Anyway," she chimed, going back to her point. "I after I read your most recent text '#boredoftheloop' I figured it wouldn't be long before you made your way to Seb's apartment to wait for him there."

Kurt hardly found her detective skills the least bit impressive, nor was he about to humour her for even a second. "What do you want?" he demanded.

Santana, in what could only be an impression of Kurt's rigid body stance, crossed her own arms over her chest. "Oh, no!" She warned. "You're not getting a word out of me until we're in Sebastian's sound proofed apartment where there's no chance of any of his neighbours filing noise complaints."

As much as Kurt didn't want to let her in, the sooner he let her say whatever she had to say, the better chance he had for them to wrap things up before Sebastian came home. There was also the matter of Kurt promising his boyfriend that he would give Santana another chance, so against his better judgement, Kurt used his key to open the door to the apartment.

"I'm surprised you'd care about something like that," Kurt said, gesturing for her to step inside first.

With a proud smirk, Santana walked past him and through the door. "The first thing you need to understand about me Kurt, is that when it comes to Sebastian Smythe, I always care."

"You have a funny way of showing it," Kurt muttered under his breath as he followed her inside and closed the door behind him. Though he had to admit there was no way he could deny that Santana loved Sebastian, in her own self-absorbed way (no wonder they were best friends).

One thing Kurt quickly learned about her was that she must have very sharp hearing, because she immediately turned around to glare at him. "Yeah well, it's not my fault that Sebastian refuses to listen to reason!" In her frustration, Santana grabbed one of Sebastian's designer cushions off of the couch and began ringing it with her hands. "He's so fucking stubborn I could just!" Her eyes were wide and blazed with anger. "And to make matters even worse; he's so bent on being right that he's willing to sacrifice his own happiness for it!"

At first, Kurt just stood there watching Santana as she continued to crush Sebastian's cushion with no remorse; he was tempted to take it away from her, but he figured better the cushion than his boyfriend's neck. How should he respond to her dramatic claims? Telling her she that was crazy came to mind, along with dragging her kicking and screaming (he assumed) to the door, but he of course knew better.

"What I'd like to know is, why are you so sure you know what's best for Sebastian?" Kurt asked instead.

"Because I've seen it, Kurt." Santana stilled her wrenching hands and tossed the now mangled cushion onto the couch. "I've seen that little glimmer he gets in his eyes when he suddenly has a new design idea, I've seen him sketch those designs on whatever paper's available, I've watched him spend every waking minute of the day-and night-at his sewing machine, and I've listened to him go on and on about how much he loves creating and making clothes." She took a deep sigh. "It used to be his whole world, right up until he lost the high school competition…" Santana paused for a moment to calm herself down a notch. "I'm going to be honest with you, Kurt, I screwed up big time back then."

Kurt's expression softened. He had expected Santana to start yelling at him that it was all his fault and that he should be ashamed of himself. This had to be the softer caring side Sebastian kept assuring Kurt did exist. Now that he was seeing it with his own eyes, Kurt decided to actually listen to what she had to stay, first by taking a seat on the couch, and then by looking right at her to show she had his complete attention.

"I was so wrapped up in winning second place that I didn't realize just how hard losing had hit him. I wasn't there for him; I was too busy preparing for the fabulous life in London that Sebastian and I were supposed to have together," Santana said, sitting down on the couch. "But he seemed fine to me, so I never questioned things, I just said my heartfelt goodbyes, promised to keep in touch, and left."

"I'm sure Sebastian did everything in his power to make sure you didn't notice any difference in him," Kurt pointed out. He wasn't about to share what Sebastian had told him about his personal struggles back then, even if she were to ask him-though he was pretty sure she wouldn't.

Santana straightened herself back up as she let out a loud snort of derision. "I'm not going to make the same mistake twice Kurt, and I'm sure as hell not going to let Sebastian give up on his dreams this time around."

"He's not going to give designing completely though."

Santana rolled her eyes. "He's kidding himself if he thinks he can do both. With his endless talents, it won't be long before Sebastian starts getting so many hair and makeup jobs that he won't any free time to design. And it's already happening! He's stopped sketching altogether, and the only thing he's even tried to work on lately is your butterfly suit, and that's only because it's your fucking birthday present!"

Kurt wanted to contest Santana's claims but he knew if he did it would be a lie, because in the past few weeks Sebastian's priorities had switched from clothes to hair and makeup. He still talked about fashion with Kurt, but the days when Sebastian spoke of almost nothing but his creations and how much he loved designing were gone. Part of that was because Kurt had met Sebastian when he was focused on winning the fashion show of course, and yet even then, it was impossible for Kurt to pretend as if nothing had changed in his passionate boyfriend.

"That's why I'm here Kurt, to see if you care as much about Sebastian as I do-"

"Sebastian is the love of my life, Santana," Kurt interrupted. "There's nothing I wouldn't do for him."

For some reason that Kurt couldn't begin to guess (nor did he want to), Santana actually appeared to be pleased that he had cut her off mid sentence. Grinning wildly, she shifted closer to him on the couch and laid her hands on his shoulder.

"Then prove it Hummel, show how much you love Sebastian by confronting his estranged business tycoon excuse of a father with me."

It took Kurt a couple of seconds to even register what Santana had just said, and once he did he still didn't speak due to sheer surprise. He'd expected her to ask him to convince Sebastian (by whatever means necessary) that he shouldn't give up on designing. Going with her to see Sebastian's dad, who Kurt still knew nothing about beyond the tiny bit Sebastian had told him, was completely different. Kurt still didn't even know his first name! (Admittedly Kurt hadn't bothered to ask, so the blame was shared between them.)

"If this is some kind of joke then I'm not following you, or your weird sense of humour," Kurt muttered as he slinked out her hold on him and stood to get away. "And if you're being serious, then you are out of your fucking mind, Santana." He hoped his using profanity would help get his utter disinterest across. "What do you even hope to gain by going to see him anyway?"

"I'm going to tell him to step up and look after Terri and Sebastian like he should have in the first place," Santana answered matter-of-factly, as if it made perfect sense, which it did not and Kurt had no trouble letting that fact be known.

"Have you forgotten that we are standing in the apartment that he _bought_ for Sebastian?" Kurt snapped.

"As you should recall, Sebastian told us how his dad hasn't given him and his mom any sort of security, and because of that, Sebastian won't allow himself to study fashion design abroad like he's always wanted to. He's convinced himself that he's better off staying here and doing something else, something that's easier and is far less risky!" Santana exclaimed. "He's so convinced that he has no future in fashion that he refuses to take any of the numerous opportunities that will come his way from the fashion show!"

Kurt frowned at her in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"Sebastian got second place in a show that's normally only for junior and senior students; that is a huge accomplishment Kurt, and he's going to get a lot of recognition for it, if he hasn't already."

At first Kurt's dumbfounded look didn't change, he just continued to stare at her, but then slowly, the realization of her words hit him. Sebastian was only a freshman; he'd gotten special permission to enter the show and had lost by a mere five points. Why hadn't Kurt realized until now how big a thing that was! The answer came back to him instantly; because Sebastian had treated his loss as just a failure to put aside and overcome.

"I had no idea…" Kurt whispered in embarrassment.

"Don't beat yourself up over it," Santana replied, waving her hand at him. "Let it be a wake up call for you to finally act."

Kurt knew he had to, but would going behind Sebastian's back to talk to his dad-even with Santana-really the right thing to do? It sure didn't sound like it to him. There had to be a better way. What if Kurt were to talk to Sebastian first and offer to go with him to ask his dad to look after his mom? It would be awkward for sure, and Kurt wasn't sure if Sebastian would even consider it, but it felt like his best option.

"I'm sorry but my answer is still no," Kurt said firmly, crossing his arms back over his chest.

Santana rose to her feet. "I'm going whether you go with me or not."

"Fine. Go right ahead, keep meddling in Sebastian's life and see where that gets you." Kurt was pretty sure he knew exactly where it would get her: the harder she pushed at Sebastian the more she would drive him away.

But Santana refused to budge, either from her foolish decision or from her spot a few feet in front of him. _'I've had enough of this,'_ Kurt thought, staring right back at her with cool formality. "I think you should go."

"Or what? You'll call Sebastian? He's not going to ditch work to come to your rescue."

Kurt knew exactly how to deal with her refusal to leave; it was time to use his secret weapon, who conveniently happened to live the next floor up. "Or you'll leave me no choice but to call up Sebastian's mom and tell her that her son's old friend Santana is here and is dying to see her."

"You don't have the nerve," challenged Santana, and yet Kurt met and matched her intimidating stare with ease.

Grinning maliciously, Kurt replied, "Try me." He fished his phone out of his pocket and pretended to bring up Terri's number in his contact list. He could go into his call history from the time she'd drunk dialled him if needed (Kurt still didn't know how she'd even gotten his number!), but he hoped he wouldn't need to go that far.

For a tense minute Kurt thought Santana was about to call his bluff, but it passed. She shrugged as if she were a child who had grown bored, which wasn't that much of a stretch as far as Kurt was concerned, and she held her hands up in surrender.

"All right then, I'll go, not because I don't want to see Terri, but because Sebastian made her and I both swear not to hang out when he's not there. She adores me you see, so much that she and I tend to have a bit too much fun for Sebby's liking," Santana explained.

Kurt followed close behind Santana as she retrieved her jacket and headed for the door. He wanted to make sure she would actually leave. To his relief, she opened the door and walked through it without a fight, but she did turn around to face him one last time.

"Call me if you change your mind; my appointment with Mr. Smythe isn't for another two days," she said.

"I don't have your number," Kurt pointed out.

"Oh yes you do, look in your contact list!" Santana called to him as she headed off on her merry way.

Kurt didn't want to believe her, but low and behold, he found Santana's name in his contact list just as she said he would. "How did she even do that?" He muttered to himself in disbelief as he closed the door. To stop it from happening anymore, Kurt finally set up a passcode for his phone, and the numbers he'd ended up choosing were the month and day he'd first met Sebastian.

In an attempt to occupy himself, Kurt decided to give fashion drawing a go and attempt to sketch a few outfits. He knew Sebastian wouldn't mind him borrowing his sketch supplies, so he sat down at his boyfriend's work desk in his bedroom to try his luck. Twenty-eight challenging minutes later and all Kurt had to show for it were a few clumsy drawing that were so embarrassing he never wanted Sebastian to see them.

"I always knew designing clothes wouldn't be child's play, but man I suck." Kurt wasn't the worst artist, he just had no practice doing this sort of thing. Maybe Kurt should ask his boyfriend for a lesson in fashion figure drawing; who knew, it might even be a way to remind him how much he loved it.

If Sebastian told Kurt to keep at it, he could even use some playful banter to tell him to do the same. Pleased with himself and his new plan, Kurt ripped out his first two sketches from Sebastian's sketchbook so he could throw them away. He decided to leave the third one and try to fix it up enough to show his boyfriend when he got home.

Kurt bent over the side of the desk to throw the crumpled pieces of paper inside; there he saw it was already full. Had Sebastian been secretly designing new outfits and rejecting them all? Curiosity got the better of Kurt in the end, and while he wasn't proud of it, he started doing a bit of snooping.

"Sebastian said he doesn't have anything to hide, so what's the harm?" Kurt muttered out loud as he rooted through the contents.

His search was disappointing though as there were no designs to be found, just your average junk mail, but then something caught Kurt's eye. It was an envelope that normally would have been quite inconspicuous, except for the fact that it had the words 'École supérieure des arts et techniques de la mode' written across it, along with an address that was from Paris, France.

Kurt couldn't help himself; he pulled the letter from the opened envelope and began reading it. He barely got two lines in before his eyes widened in shock.

"Oh, my god!" Kurt blurted out. He could barely believe it, but it was all there, typed in authentic looking fancy font.

Sebastian had been offered a spot in the costume design program at ESMOD, in Paris, France! Kurt hadn't heard of the school, but a quick google search on his phone brought him up to speed. ESMOD wasn't just any old college, it was one of the most prestigious and well known fashion schools on the planet! It had been founded back in 1841, and if that weren't enough, the mannequin and measuring tape had been invented there!

Kurt's initial joy was short lived when he realized he had found the opened envelope in the garbage, which meant only one thing: Sebastian had read the letter and rejected the spot, all without even telling Kurt about it.

"Santana is right, he has given up on his dreams… but why?" Fear of rejection? Kurt got that if so, but what it was about something else, something not even Sebastian was aware of? _'Things are way worse than I thought.'_ It was one thing for Sebastian to consider dropping out of SAIC and do fashion design part time, but to actually turn down an opportunity of a lifetime was a completely different matter.

Kurt knew what he needed to do, and whom he needed to call. He brought out the phone and hit the dial button before he could have any second thoughts and chicken out. His heart hammered in his chest as he waited for her to pick up.

"Santana, hi, it's me, Kurt." Not waiting for her reply, he quickly added, "_I'm in_."


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter notes: At this point, as I am writing chapter 22, I have come to realize there's enough material remaining for me to add another chapter. So it looks as if Welcome to Paradise will end at 23 chapters now. Which honestly is a good thing, because it will give my beta and I more time to work on things. I'm not sure when the next update will be, with the choice to split things into 2 more chapters, hopefully it will be in three weeks, but I can't say that for sure. Just check out my tumblr for status updates as usual.

Chapter 21

It was a beautiful Tuesday afternoon: the sun was shining, the birds were singing, it couldn't have been more perfect, but Kurt was too preoccupied to admire the loveliness around him. He could barely believe he was going through with this. Why was he going through with this again? Kurt absentmindedly touched Sebastian's ESMOD letter in his inside jacket pocket. Oh right, that was why. Kurt had brought it along in case it could be useful. Sebastian didn't seem to want it anymore, but just to be safe Kurt had left the envelope in the trashcan.

Even though Kurt knew he was doing this for Sebastian, it still wasn't enough to calm his anxiety now that the moment had finally come. The only way Kurt had survived the past two days was to put it all out of his mind and just focus on his work. It helped that Sebastian was just as busy, but he still kept in touch with Kurt, and saw him whenever possible.

Not only had Kurt made it to D-day, but by some amazing miracle, Kurt didn't have any jobs, and better yet, Sebastian did, which meant there was no need to make up any excuses. So there Kurt was, standing nervously on the curb as he waited for Santana to pay the cab driver.

Kurt turned around to gaze at the massive skyscraper building they were about to enter. "It's so tall." It had to be at least sixy stories high. Just the idea of meeting with someone who owned such a large company would already Kurt put on edge, but since that person was also his boyfriend's dad it made him not only nervous, but nauseous as well.

"Relax, Hummel," Santana said as she came to stand beside him. "It's not like you're going in there to ask for his son's hand in marriage." A devilish smile spread across her face. "Unless…"

"Let's just get this over with," Kurt sputtered, hurrying off before she could see him blushing. It annoyed him that she could push his buttons so easily, but then, Sebastian was pretty much his greatest weakness. He still wasn't used to having a boyfriend to be teased about, but it came with the territory he supposed.

If he weren't feeling so anxious about meeting Sebastian's dad, Kurt probably would have enjoyed it more. He was starting to regret his decision not learn a bit about Mr. Smythe from the internet; Kurt hadn't even allowed himself to look up his first name! It just felt too much like cheating to him, especially when he was going behind his boyfriend's back.

Kurt snuck a glance at Santana, who was a few steps ahead of him now as they walked up to the building's main entrance. She was looking very professional in a white blazer style jacket with black trim, a cream and black polka dot print silk blouse, and a pair of white slim fit pants. Her black ankle strap heels were a lot shorter than Kurt had seen her wear, which showed how much she meant business today. Her impressive state of dress made Kurt very glad that he'd decided to dress on the more formal side today too, and in an ironic twist of fate, Kurt's white dress shirt, black vest and trousers ensemble matched Santana's outfit perfectly. They almost looked as if they were two business partners about to head off to a work meeting together.

_'I guess it wouldn't hurt to ask her for a little information,'_ Kurt told himself. _'It would be nice not to go in totally blind.'_ And unlike with the internet, there was no risk for Kurt to find out more than he wanted to know.

All Kurt had to do now was wait for the right moment.

With Santana leading the way, the pair made walked towards the front desk and the woman who was standing behind it. Kurt quietly watched as she addressed the woman as if she were just another client who had an appointment. After Santana gave her name, the receptionist nodded immediately and told her that her appointment with the president would be at 2pm as scheduled. Kurt barely managed to hide his surprise and merely followed after her as she went over to where the elevators were.

"What was that all about?" Kurt whispered to her.

"I figured the easiest way to get in was to call and make an official appointment," Santana replied matter-of-factly.

Kurt guessed that made sense; Mr. Smythe was probably too busy to meet with them casually over dinner, and the formal setting should make things less awkward as well. _'I hope.' _Just having to follow Santana's lead and let her do the talking was making it easier for Kurt to calm down.

"When was the last time you saw Sebastian's dad?" Kurt asked as they waited for the elevator.

"From what I can remember… that would have to be when I was flipping channels sometime last year one night and caught him being interviewed on the local news."

Of course Santana wouldn't be willing to give him an easy answer. "I meant in person," he explained, but instead of telling him, she smirked at him instead, which Kurt didn't like at all. "Wait…" Kurt felt the colour drain from his face; there was no way. "Are you telling me that you've never actually met him before?" It seemed so far fetched; Santana had to be just messing with him. Please let her just be messing with him.

"I dunno why you're so surprised," Santana said as she walked into the now open elevator. "It's not like he and Sebastian are close."

Kurt scurried in after her; he was very glad they were the only ones here. "But what about school functions and things like that?" Sebastian's dad had to have gone to his son's high school graduation, and what about the statewide fashion competition?

"He never went to any of them."

What had started as surprise quickly changed into anger. This didn't make sense at all; Sebastian's dad had gone to the show at SAIC for fucksakes! Kurt scowled and clenched his fists as he stood, waiting for the elevator to take them to the 30th floor. It would do no good to lash out at Santana. During the ride, he pictured a young Sebastian peeking out into the audience at a school function and not seeing his dad there, hiding the rejection as he pretended not to care. It was just so sad to imagine. Even Kurt's own dad had made it to his biggest school events!

"Before you go writing him off as a bad father there Kurt, the reason he didn't go was for Sebastian's own sake." Santana explained, leaning against the wall of the elevator nearest to her. "Sebastian went to a bunch of fancy private schools at first, and the high school we both went to wasn't run down by any means either. Can you imagine the kind of ridicule he would have gotten if anyone found out he's basically a love child?"

As much as Kurt didn't want to admit it, he knew Sebastian's classmates would have teased him ruthlessly (or worse) if they'd learned his mother was one of his dad's many mistresses. But that still didn't mean Kurt thought that Sebastian's dad was justified in not going to any of his son's school functions.

"Sebastian's relationship with his dad is complex Kurt, and it's taken them a while to reach a peaceful status quo," Santana said.

Now that he knew all this, Kurt wasn't so sure he and Santana should go through with their plan, and if it weren't so last minute, Kurt would have told her so. But since there was no going back, Kurt spent the rest of the elevator ride in silence as he tried to assure himself that he wouldn't regret all of this.

When the elevator came to a stop and the door opened, Santana grinned at him and announced, "This is our floor, Hummel." She started to step through the doors, but stopped to look at him. "You still with me?" The door began to close but Santana casually stopped it with her arm. "It's not too late to back out, but you better make up your mind up quick."

The only answer Kurt cared to give her was an extra snarky eye roll that said 'please' as he strode through the doorway and down the hallway without even glancing back to see what her reaction was. This was one time Kurt couldn't allow himself to run. It might be reckless of him, but Kurt had to do everything he could to make sure that Sebastian's passion for designing clothes didn't wither and die.

It wasn't long before the hallway they were walking through turned a corner to spread out into a comfortable waiting area. A desk at the end of the space was situated to the right of the office door beside it, and sitting behind that desk was a young man whose eyes were glued on the screen of his computer as he typed away.

At long last Kurt was about to learn the name of his boyfriend's infamous father as his eyes fell upon the name written in gold letter. "His name is Henri?" he whispered to Santana.

"What were you expecting?" Santana asked with a smirk.

Kurt shrugged a bit. "I dunno." Henri Smythe. It certainly did have a nice ring to it. Kurt noticed how his name didn't have the usual English spelling that ended with a y. Could that possibly mean that Henri's side of the family was French then? It would make sense; Kurt had heard about the six months Sebastian had spent living in France.

While Kurt was busy pondering his boyfriend's possible heritage, the receptionist looked up from his computer screen to greet them both with a polite smile.

"Hi there. You must be Miss Lopez and Mister Hummel?" He asked, smiling even more after Santana nodded at him. "The president is waiting for you in his office, so you can head on right in."

Kurt had barely thanked the receptionist before Santana was on the move, stumbling along, he hurried to catch up with her.

"What, no secret alias?" Kurt whispered teasingly to her right before she opened the door, knowing she wouldn't have the time to answer him (though she did manage to roll her eyes).

All thoughts of jokes were quickly forgotten when Kurt was near enough to make out the man sitting behind the large antique wooden desk at the far end of the room. For a split second, Kurt thought it was Sebastian sitting there because the family resemblance was so remarkable. They had the same alluring green eyes, the same chiselled jaw, and as he noticed Kurt and Santana, the same charming grin. No wonder Terri had been unable to resist him; Henri Smythe put new meaning to the word handsome. His dark hair was slightly tinted with silver, but that only made him look more distinguished.

Henri, who was still smiling, removed his reading glasses and gestured to the two chairs in front of his desk. "Please have a seat." There were no signs in either his inviting face or his relaxed body language that gave any hint to his reaction to seeing two teenagers step into his office.

Kurt couldn't keep himself from stopping to admire his sharp state of attire; his suit was dark navy and its single button fastening gave a sleek silhouette shape. It made him wonder if Sebastian had given his dad any fashion advice, though it that were the case, he suspected that Henri's tie would have been something a tad more bold than a lighter shade of navy. Regardless, he looked every inch a well-to-do company president.

"I must admit I was expecting someone older," Henri confessed as Kurt and Santana took their seats. He seemed to be particularly interested in Santana, who didn't so much as bat an eye as he studied her for a moment. Kurt thought it was a credit to Henri's charming personality that he could do so and not come off as the least bit creepy-he was a Smythe all right. "Would be I right to assume that you are the same Miss Lopez who is a friend of my son Sebastian?"

"I am indeed," Santana confirmed. "I'm sorry for us meeting under false pretenses like this, but we were left with little choice."

Kurt was surprised that Santana had bothered to include him in the comment. She glanced over at him and nudged her head towards Henri, who had turned his sights onto Kurt now. It was eerie for Kurt to see eyes so much like Sebastian's studying him, though unlike with his boyfriend there was no sensual element to it. It finally dawned on Kurt that Santana was urging him to introduce himself.

Still caught off guard, Kurt was a complete loss for words. At first all he could do was turn red in the face as he fumbled to say something. "Oh, I'm uh…" What the hell was he even doing? Thank goodness Sebastian wasn't there so see his boyfriend make such an embarrassing first impression!

It was no use, Kurt was failing on so many mortifying levels here, but he hadn't expected Sebastian's father to look so much like his boyfriend! It was as if he was looking at a window into the future and seeing how gracefully his boyfriend was going to age.

"And this is Kurt Hummel," Santana finally said when it was clear that Kurt was too flustered to introduce himself. "Who also happens to be Sebastian's boyfriend."

The need to redeem himself was so strong that Kurt willed himself to channel Sebastian as he gave Santana an affectionate grin in response. Once he was sure she saw the thinly veiled discontent behind his act, Kurt turned his attention to Henri.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Kurt said, extending his hand for Sebastian's dad to shake. Henri accepted the greeting, removing his hand as soon as it was over (but not hastily-to Kurt's relief). Feeling slightly more at ease, Kurt decided to go with the honest approach since it had always worked so well with his son. "You'll have to excuse my little lapse there. You just look so much like Sebastian that I was finding it difficult to focus."

A sure enough, Henri actually chuckled lightly at Kurt's comment. Even his laughter sounded the same! This was getting eerie. It must have been very odd for father and son to come to terms to their striking family resemblance. Was this why Sebastian hadn't given Kurt any details about his dad? Or had he just been waiting for Kurt to ask him first?

"This must be a strange experience for you then," Henri said; his voice was slightly deeper than Sebastian's but the soothing tone was the same.

_'Strange doesn't even behind to describe how I'm feeling,'_ Kurt thought to himself, smiling awkwardly. "Only a little."

"I assume Sebastian is the reason you're here." Henri stated it as a fact, not a question, and then nodded as he continued. "I think this calls for some coffee..." Kurt and Santana nodded in agreement at almost the same time, which made him chuckle again. But he seamlessly switched back to business mode when he called his secretary to make and bring them their refreshments.

It didn't escape Kurt how civilly Henri treated his secretary when he made the request; there was no hint of flirtation of course, but he hadn't barked out his orders either. Kurt got the sense that his personable act was just on the surface and that there was no telling what he was truly thinking. Henri Smythe was proving to be as much of an enigma as his young son. For all Kurt knew, he was hiding his annoyance at his son's bestie and boyfriend wasting his valuable work time.

"How has Sebastian been lately? I haven't seen him since before the fashion show," Henri asked, leaning his back against his office chair.

Then again, Kurt couldn't see why someone who was acting as stoic as him needing to put on a facade.

"Well, if you were to ask him I'm sure he'd say he's fine and dandy." How should Kurt explain things? He and Santana hadn't gone over what exactly they were going to say. "I'm not sure if you're aware, but Sebastian's recently been questioning whether or not he wants pursue fashion design as a career anymore," Kurt said.

Santana made a snort of derision. "Kurt's putting way too it lightly; Sebastian's decided to give up on designing so he can become a hair and makeup artist!"

Henri's secretary walked in just then, offering a much welcomed distraction as he went around delivering everyone's coffee orders. Once their steaming drinks were in their hands, he made a hasty retreat (he must have seen Santana's intense expression) before he could finish excusing himself.

Henri paused to take a sip of his coffee before continuing with their conversation. "Terri's told me how he's taken on a number of hair and makeup jobs, but not much more than that. Even she hasn't seen much of him lately. But this is hardly the first time Sebastian has gotten swept up in something and I doubt it will be the last."

"So if Sebastian were to drop out of SAIC and give up on designing, you would be fine with that?" Santana questioned.

"I may be his father Santana, but Sebastian is an adult whose his life his is his own, and while he is only nineteen, I am still in no place to tell him what he should do with it." Henri leaned forward to rest his elbows on his desk as he laced his fingers together, much like Sebastian did when he was deep in thought. "As you both most like have heard, the two of us used to have a rather strained relationship that's only just started to work for us. If I were to tell him he's making a mistake, nothing good would come of it; Sebastian will still act however he sees fit, regardless of my opinions."

"And this is why he's gotten away with crap like this for so long, because no one is willing to stand up to him!" Santana put her mug down to dramatically throw her hands up in the in the air. "He's gotten so damn independant that he can't even admit he's screwed up and needs help!"

Kurt felt bad for not saying too much, but he didn't want to do anything to further provoke Santana, who despite her current outburst, still wasn't actually shouting at anyone. Even if Kurt had dared to weigh in, he wasn't sure what he would say. Kurt understood where both Henri and Santana were coming from, and agreed with their claims as well. Sebastian's stubbornness was somehow both his greatest strength and worst liability.

"Somebody seriously needs to step up and tell him that he's allowed to make mistakes, but that he's making a huge one right now by letting go of his dream so easily!" Santana continued, keeping up the dramatics.

Being in involved with Terri, who was worthy of the title drama queen, must have made it easy for Henri not to react to Santana's attention grabbing antics. If anything, he seemed more in his element as he watched her seethe in her chair.

"And you're saying you think that someone should be me?" Henri asked at point blank.

"No, of course we're not!" Kurt exclaimed, but just to be safe, he turned to Santana. "We're not, right?"

Santana ignored both men for a moment so she could take a long drink from her mug, placing it on the desk when it was empty. "I'm not saying that at all," she replied in a surprisingly calm voice; it was amazing how she could switch back and forth like that. "We all know what a disaster that would be. No, Sebastian is way too far gone for any of us to reach him, and believe me, Kurt and I have tried." She cast Kurt a smirking grin. "Though in quite different ways."

Kurt rolled his eyes; what kind of silly idea did she have about his and Sebastian's relationship if she thought he'd tried to use sex to persuade Sebastian? It had been tempting, but Kurt doubted he could pull it off and he didn't want to bring their personal issues into the bedroom like that either.

But now was not the time to make that clear to Santana, what Kurt needed to do was throw his own concerns into the mix.

"Sebastian would never admit it Mr. Smythe, but losing the fashion show was really difficult for him. It eventually got so bad that he'd started second guessing himself and the choices he made. Sebastian tried to write it off that he just wanted to make the clothes he wanted to make and not for sale, but I think he was just making up excuses to justify his reasons. The fear that he would come to hate designing clothes if he were to keep pursuing it as a career was too real for him to ignore anymore."

A wave of guilt washed over him as he recalled the time Sebastian had broken down in front of him. Kurt looked away from Mr. Smythe for a moment before the well of emotion in him broke down his barriers.

He swallowed the rising catch in his throat. " It took me longer to notice than I'd like to admit, but Santana's right, Sebastian is making a big mistake this time." Kurt hadn't expected Sebastian's dad to agree to help them that easily, but that was why he had come prepared. _'It's time for my secret weapon.' _

"When Santana first came to me to ask me to see you with her, I turned her down. I, like you, Mr. Smythe, didn't want to admit that Sebastian needed my help and was too afraid to ask for it. But then… I found something in his apartment… something that instantly changed my mind." Kurt brought out Sebastian's ESMOD acceptance letter and laid on the table, pushing it towards Henri.

Santana was the first one to react, leaning over to inspect the Kurt's _evidence_ before she demanded, "What is _that_?"

"This is a letter from ESMOD," Kurt answered, tapping the letter. "Which-if either of you aren't already aware-is a well known fashion school in Paris. Sebastian was offered a spot in the costume design program, but he threw it away. If Sebastian was just weighing his options and taking on some hair and makeup jobs for the summer then that would be fine. But this rejected letter proves that Sebastian is literally throwing away an opportunity of a lifetime."

What had upset Kurt the most though was how Sebastian had done so without bothering to tell him. He'd kept waiting to see if Sebastian would bring it up on his own over the past few days-to no avail. The one consolation was that Sebastian's silence on the matter had made it easier for Kurt to keep his own plans with Santana a secret.

Kurt also hadn't told Santana about the letter, and a quick look her way showed that had been a good call. Her hands were balled into fists with her long nails digging into her skin as she muttered under her breath.

In comparison, Henri's reaction was far more subdued. Calmly taking the letter, he began to read its contents while Santana continued to spout whispered profanities and the many horrible things she planned to do to Sebastian once she got her hands on him.

"Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Kurt," Henri said, taking his glasses off when he was finished reading. "What can I do to help you?" While he was clearly a man of few words, he wasn't completely void of emotion. It was subtle, but Kurt saw the earnesty in his eyes and voice that made Kurt realize 'here's a man who cares about his son, just in his own seemingly distatched way.'

Since Mr. Smythe was being direct, Kurt decided to do the same, but that was still easier said than done. He would have to choose his words very carefully or he might think that Kurt was blaming him for his son's misgivings. "We need you to tell Sebastian that you'll look after Terri for him, and that if anything were to ever happen to you, she would be taken care of. He's too proud to ask you himself, just like he's too proud to ask you to help pay for him to go study abroad."

Kurt sighed, fidgeting with his hands under the table where no one could see. "Sebastian is using Terri as an excuse to keep himself from going to Paris for college." Kurt's insecurities were screaming at him to apologize for his forwardness, but he forced himself to hold them at bay. "He shouldn't even be in such a difficult position the first place at his age…"

It was no use, Kurt felt his courage crumble away and he faltered. "I'm sorry if I-" Kurt began when he couldn't take it anymore, but Mr. Smythe raised a hand to stop his apology.

"It's quite all right," Henri assured. "It's what I get for not communicating better with my son. I thought giving him space would make it easier for us, but now I see that I was merely seeking a way to justify the distance between us. Terri and Sebastian are in my will, and I went to painstaking lengths to ensure they will be well taken care of if I were to die unexpectedly." He lifted his head back as he laughed at his own stupidity; he looked so much like Sebastian as he did this that Kurt couldn't stop staring at him.

Henri stared at the letter in his hand before putting it down on the desk. "I'll talk to him today."

"Sebastian's job should be over by six tonight, so you should be able to see him after then," Kurt said.

"As long as you can convince him to drop by that is," Santana added, smirking. "I do not envy you there, Mr. Smythe."

Henri smiled right back at her. "You leave that to me." He touched a button on his phone. "Joshua, please cancel all of my appointments this evening."

"All of them, sir?" Joshua asked in confusion.

"Yes, all of them. I know it's sudden, but please do your best to reschedule them for me. A matter of great importance has just been made known to me that I cannot afford to ignore."

Kurt let out a breath of the relief. _'Thank goodness.'_ He had been so worried that Sebastian's dad would be as stubborn as his son and refuse to help them.

"I hope you both realize that while I'll do my part and give Sebastian the freedom needed for him to reach for his dreams again, it will be up to him to decide if he will or not," Henri warned with a knowing smile.

At first Kurt could only nod in response. Even though he and Sebastian had been together for months, Kurt honestly couldn't guess what choice he would make. But Kurt told himself that he didn't need to know. Whatever Sebastian did, and wherever life took him, Kurt would support him with all of his heart. The fear that his and Sebastian's relationship wasn't strong enough to survive long distance was still there. Kurt didn't even want to think about having to say goodbye to Sebastian if he did go to France. All Kurt did know was that there would be a lot of soul searching for the both of them after this-and many tough decisions to make.

But as long as Sebastian was given the chance he deserved, Kurt would try to accept things, and move on with his life no matter the outcome. Kurt fought to hold back the tears welling up in his eyes; now was not the time to fall apart. He'd let himself cry it out later when he was alone.

"That's fine by me," Santana said to break the awkward silence. "I've had it with Sebastian's selfish whims enough as it is. He can put his priorities back in place on his own after today."

Kurt chuckled; bless Santana and her refusal to hold her words back for anyone. He was beginning to see why Sebastian held her in such high regard. Her little remark was just the thing to break the rising tension in the room. _'I think she just earned her invite to my birthday party,'_ Kurt thought. It would be nice to have something to celebrate for, especially when Sebastian's personal struggles were far from over.

"As long as Sebastian's beautiful creations make it out into the world, then that's enough for me," Kurt announced, and while he meant it, in his head his subconscious added, _'Because it has to be.'_

After a long, grinding day doing makeup for a bossy wedding party, Sebastian had been looking forward for to relaxing with his boyfriend for the rest of the night. But something unexpected had robbed him of his plans, or rather someone. Now Sebastian was left with the difficult task of breaking the news to Kurt, whom he hadn't seen since yesterday afternoon.

Sebastian called him as he made his way to his convertible. "Hey, babe, how are you doing this fine evening?" Sebastian said, laying on the charm.

"I was fine… or at least right up until just now. I know that voice Sebastian, you use it whenever want something from me…" Kurt said suspiciously. "What's going on?"

"I'm afraid I have some bad news, I won't be able to make it to dinner tonight."

"Don't tell me you're working late again." Was it just him or was Kurt intentionally putting on some fake act to tease him, because if so, then he didn't sound nearly annoyed enough for it to be believable.

"No, it's my dad. He called me out of the blue about an hour ago and asked me to see him." Sebastian had been tempted to decline his invitation, or at least reschedule, but his dad's power of persuasion held no bounds. Before he knew it, he had agreed to meeting him for dinner, and all without putting up much of a fight.

"I could cancel on him though." It would serve him right after the cheap guilt trip he'd pulled during their phone call. Sebastian still couldn't believe his dad had accused him of avoiding him on purpose. _'Like he can talk.'_

"No, you should go. You haven't seen him for a while right?" Kurt urged. "I think I'll follow your lead and have dinner with my folks too."

Sebastian sighed, "Fine then, I'll humour him this time, but after tonight I'm going back to my usual indulgent self."

They flirted for a little while longer until Kurt apparently realized Sebastian was intentionally stalling and ended the call. Sebastian went home to his apartment next to change into something better suited for dinner at the swanky restaurant his dad had chosen-which also happened to be the same one Sebastian had taken Kurt to on their first date. After he'd resisted the urge to really take his time and be very fashionably late, Sebastian stood in front of the mirror to give his ensemble a quick look over.

"Navy blazer over a brown elbow patch cardigan that's over a white and brown stripe t-shirt, AG Jeans, a paisley pocket square by drake to draw people's eyes in…" Sebastian stepped backwards so his entire frame was visible in the mirror. "... and to top it all off, a pair of Bottega Veneta's Chelsea boots that cost more than the rest of the outfit combined," Sebastian said with a smug smile as he adjusted the collar on his jacket.

Just because Sebastian was no longer going out on a date with Kurt didn't mean he wasn't going to put any effort into his appearance. The little thrill he got whenever he pieced together an amazing outfit was a welcome rush of pleasure to make up for his sudden change of plans.

Once he was done fixing up his hair, Sebastian took a photo of himself with his phone and sent it to Kurt, along with the message. _Here's what you're missing out on, babe. _

Kurt's reply came back when Sebastian had just gotten into his convertible._** Very nice. Your dad is a lucky man. **_

Sebastian snorted. "What? No flirty remarks about how you wish you were in his shoes? Really Kurt, it's like you're not even trying anymore." But that was the whole problem, wasn't it? Kurt wasn't trying anymore, or at least as not as much as he used to. The slight change in his usually playful boyfriend hadn't been noticeable at first, but over the past three days, Sebastian had started to pick up things. _'I feel like he's hiding something from me.'_ But what would he be hiding? Sebastian had no idea.

The worst part was that Sebastian couldn't call Kurt out on it, because he was doing the same thing to him. If he thought about it, Sebastian knew that was why he hadn't bothered to try to get the truth out of his boyfriend in the first place. It couldn't be that serious if Kurt's behaviour hadn't caught his attention until now; for all he knew he was just tired from working such long hours. Or he might be acting out because Sebastian was equally busy, and Sebastian couldn't blame him for that.

It was turning out to be a busy summer for the both of them, just not in the way they had anticipated. Lately, Kurt and Sebastian spent their nights together having hot passionate sex until they were too tired to stay awake anymore. He did miss their sexy banter beforehand and their pillow talk sessions afterwards, but they were still connecting with one another, so why shouldn't they spent the prime of their lives in the best way imaginable?

Sebastian started up his car and pulled out onto the main road. "I'll come clean to Kurt as soon as his birthday's over." Whatever Kurt was hiding would just have to wait until then. Unless Kurt approached him first, which could happen, and if it did, Sebastian wouldn't lie to him and hopefully avoid any unwanted drama right before Kurt's big day.

"I'm overthinking this way too much," Sebastian grumbled, forcing himself to drop the matter before things got out of hand.

A mere fifteen minutes late, Sebastian made it to the restaurant with a mind clear of any boyfriend troubles and ready to have dinner with his dad. He stepped inside and greeted the head waiter at the main desk with his usual charm, and was taken to where Mr. Smythe awaited. As per usual, he and Sebastian were in a private dining room, which meant there was no need for any formalities between them.

Sebastian waited until he sat down to finally look his father's way and he discovered that the novelty of seeing so much of himself (but older) in his dad still hadn't worn off.

"Hi, dad," he said, grinning. "You're looking well." At least he'd learned to get some amusement out of it though.

Henri's smile in return was far less cheeky than his son's. "And you're looking more and more like me every time I see you."

"That must be so weird for you huh?" Sebastian reached over and poured himself a glass of wine from the bottle on the table.

"It has taken some getting used to; as I'm sure you know all about," Henri replied. "Thank you for coming by the way, in spite of your busy schedule."

"Thank your skills of persuasion for that." Sebastian hadn't planned to act so snarky with him; the words were just coming out on their own. Not that it mattered; nothing bothered his dad, which was a trait Sebastian had been quite glad to inherit. He couldn't remember a single time he'd seen his dad become angry, and with Terri as Sebastian's mom, that was saying something.

Henri also shared Sebastian's love of wearing three piece suits, though in his dad's case, that was probably more due to needing to uphold his business CEO image. Still, Sebastian had to admit his dad knew how to dress, and as far as he knew, he didn't have a personal stylist. Henri's suit was perfect the shade of charcoal grey to match his light blue dress shirt underneath. What did surprise Sebastian was that he wasn't wearing a tie for once. _'I guess that's what he considers casual wear,'_ Sebastian thought with amusement.

"How have you been?" Henri asked.

Sebastian eyed him with a cool regard. He knew for a fact that his mom had told him how their son was doing hair and makeup work for the summer. He'd overheard Terri ranting to him (through her closed apartment door) over the phone when he'd gone up to visit her, and had quickly left before she had known he had even been there. But Terri knew nothing about Sebastian's plans to drop out of SAIC and give up on fashion design as a career.

"I'm doing well enough, considering the circumstances," Sebastian vaguely replied.

"I heard from Terri that you've started working as a makeup artist for the summer."

"I have." Sebastian picked up the menu and skimmed his meal options. _'Why am I here, dad?'_ It would have been so easy to simply ask him, but Sebastian didn't feel like it. If his dad wanted to pretend calling him out to dinner so suddenly wasn't out of the ordinary, then Sebastian was only too happy to play along. "I'm working as a hair stylist as well."

"I also hear that you're no longer planning to become a fashion designer."

Sebastian put down his wise glass. "From whom exactly?" It couldn't be Terri, unless she'd gone and done something stupid like snoop into her son's affairs behind his back. It was possible, since Terri was good friends with Shelby, who was friends with Isabelle, who often hired Elliott, who Sebastian was currently filling in for. But that seemed like too much work for her to bother, so what was going on?

"It wasn't your mother," Henri answered with ease. Sebastian would never admit it to anyone, but his dad was the model he'd used when he'd first begun to develop his 'I don't give a shit' attitude. "It's someone who was concerned enough about you that they came to see me at my office today."

With his mom ruled out, that left only two people who would have the audacity. "Who was it then? Kurt or Santana?" Sebastian asked dryly. Santana seemed the most likely choice, but if Kurt were the culprit, then that would explain his suspicious actions of late.

"They came together actually."

Sebastian shook his head; he was surprised he wasn't more annoyed at the news, especially since neither of them had told him about it. But how could he get angry with either of them when they'd gone to his father for his own sake. Not to mention the fact that Kurt and Santana had put whatever differences they had aside in order to band together. But that didn't mean he liked the idea of them pulling his dad into this mess by no doubt blowing things wildly out of proportion.

"I had no idea they were that worried about me," Sebastian said with a grin, lying through his teeth.

He could only imagine the kind of sob story they must have given his dad to get him on their side. "I dunno what they told you, but I'm sure it's nowhere near as bad as they put on. I am leaning towards having designing becoming more of a hobby than a career now, but isn't that my choice to make?" It took him a second to realizing he had started scowling. Okay, maybe he was slightly more bitter about his best friend and boyfriend's secret meddlings than he'd originally thought.

Henri eyed his son for a moment, smiling as he watched Sebastian calmly regain his composure again. "That was my first thought as well, but then Kurt showed me something that changed my mind." This time his dad didn't beat around the bush and took said item out of his pocket and slid it on the table until it was within his son's reach.

Sebastian didn't need to opened the folded piece of paper to know what it was, because it could only be one thing. Suddenly everything was falling to place. This explained why Kurt had been acting distant, he must have found Sebastian's discarded letter from ESMOD, showed it to Santana, who demanded they go see his dad and then used it to make Henri act. _'That's what I get for not doing a better job of disposing of the evidence.'_

"That must have been one interesting meeting," Sebastian said with a smug grin. He was amazed Kurt had gone through with it actually, and had managed to keep it all from him as well.

"It was quite the eye opener-for all of us."

_'No shit,'_ Sebastian thought. He'd never gotten around to telling Kurt just how much he looked like his dad. His plan had been to wait until he could properly introduce them and see the surprise on Kurt's face first hand. But Sebastian had decided it was still much too early for such a meeting.

Their waitress appeared to ask if they were ready to order, and Sebastian made his without bothering to look at his menu. Calm and collected as his son, Henri made his selections next and charmingly thanked her before she left the room.

_'If only I could pick my career choices from a menu,'_ Sebastian thought wistfully as he took another sip of his wine. "What did you think of them?"

Henri smirked at his son in a way that said 'I know exactly what you're doing, but I'll play along for now.' "Santana is everything I imagine she would be from what I've heard from you and your mother. She is as passionate as she is beautiful and although she tries to hide it behind her tough exterior, I could tell she generally cares about you, Sebastian."

It was an accurate enough assessment. "And Kurt?" He resisted the urge to ask if he would be his type if he were into men, but only because he couldn't think of a good enough punchline to go through with it.

"I knew you had a boyfriend from Terri, but I never really thought about it until I saw Kurt come on the runway at the fashion show. Somehow I knew it was him, and just like he did with everyone else in the audience, his performance left a memorable impression on me. Suddenly coming face to face with him off stage when he stepped into my office with Santana was quite a surprise, and it took me a moment to realize who he was." Henri rested his chin on the back of his hand as he leaned his elbow on the table.

"In the short time that I spent talking to him, I saw a man who had recently come into his own and was forcing himself to do something he was unsure about, because of his love for you, Sebastian."

"I should have told him about the letter," Sebastian admitted, feeling an instant weight lift from his heavy shoulders.

Henri didn't bother to ask his son why he hadn't; he just smirked knowingly in response. "Speaking from experience, keeping big secrets from the people you care about rarely ends well."

"Oh, trust me, I'm well aware of that fact already," Sebastian said with a mocking laugh. "And you'd think I would have learned my lesson by now." Maybe it was hereditary and he was doomed from birth, or maybe Sebastian was just looking for excuses as usual.

"What can I say, Sebastian." He'd started calling Sebastian by his first name instead of son ever since he'd entered his teenage years. "We humans are creatures of habits," he said, reaching for his wine glass. "Some of which are harder to let go of than others."

While it was hardly noteworthy father son talk material, Sebastian did find solace in his father's words. It reminded him that he wasn't the only one who didn't have all his shit together. Adults could screw up just as badly as him and still were able to go on with their daily lives.

"So what did Kurt and Santana have to say to you?" Sebastian asked.

As if he had been waiting this whole time for Sebastian to ask him that (which he probably had), Henri grinned back at his son in what appeared to be approval. "I was hoping we could eat our dinner first before we get to all of that." He put his wine glass down and switched to water. "In the eventfulness of today, I missed out on a proper lunch and am paying the price for it now."

Sebastian's chance to reply was interrupted when the waitress stepped into the room with their meals balanced on her hands.

"Sure, why not," Sebastian replied with a smug grin. "I suppose it can wait."

It was well into the evening by the time Sebastian parted ways with his dad. After they'd spent two hours at the restaurant, Henri had invited him over to his house, and Sebastian, in his emotionally weakened fragile state, had accepted. It had still taken another glass of fine wine for him to open up fully so they could have a real heart to heart though.

Sebastian had graciously accepted a ride back to his apartment in his dad's swanky car (his dad's chauffeur would drive over Sebastian's convertible in the morning), but he did decline being escorted to his front door.

A quick time check on his cellphone revealed that it was only ten-thirty at night and not that late at all for him. But when he took into account that dinner with his dad had started at six, it explained why he was feeling so drained.

He'd never confessed so many feelings to anyone other than Kurt before and the after effects weren't easy getting used to. The littlest thing set him off; he'd nearly broken down sobbing when he'd dropped his keys when he'd gone to open his front door. Then, to make matters worse, Sebastian discovered he was out of his favourite hazelnut coffee! This was why he was had always fought so hard to keep his emotions hidden under his walls at all costs. Sebastian Smythe was not the kind of man who broke down at all-let alone over such trivial matters.

"Where did I go wrong?" Sebastian muttered to himself as he fixed himself a cup of dark roast coffee instead.

Sebastian heard his phone's alert beep and brought it out of his pocket with his free hand to read it.

_**So how did your evening with your dad go?**_

_I just got back now. It turned out that we both had a lot to catch up on. _Maybe it was the wine talking, but Sebastian felt like he should apologize. _Sorry it's so late. _

_**It's not so late that I can't come over for a nightcap still though. **_

For once sex was the farthest thing from Sebastian's mind. What could he say to Kurt to gently turn his offer down without having to lie-or hurt his boyfriend's feelings.

_I'm afraid I'm a bit too drunk to be of any use to you tonight, babe. _

Sebastian regretted his hasty reply the second he hit the send button. "Oh fuck," he muttered, but it was too late to whine about it now.

_**It was that bad, huh? **_

_You don't know the half of it. But however awkward it was, I'm glad my dad and I got to talk it out finally. _

It was a good thing they weren't talking on the phone; Sebastian doubted he'd be able to play it cool in his tipsy state. He couldn't believe that Kurt was letting him put on a stupid charade like this when he was fully aware why his dad had asked to see him. The fact that Kurt wasn't calling him out on it gave him hope, but at the same time, left him feeling worried.

"I really need to sober up so I can finally man up and admit everything to Kurt." But Sebastian was afraid to admit that anything was wrong. He wanted to keep on pretending as if he'd made the right choice and his life was finally on the right track.

_Raincheck? _

Sebastian drank the rest of his coffee as he anxiously waited for Kurt's reply. _'I'm going to tell him.' _He took a deep breath, counting the seconds as they passed. _'I have to tell him.'_ If only Sebastian knew what he was going to do. He was pretty sure, but even after talking with his dad there were still so many uncertainties in his way.

_**I suppose having to wait until the night of my birthday party should make it even more special for us. **_

Instant relief washed over Sebastian after reading Kurt's text. In his own subtle way, Kurt was telling Sebastian that he could wait a little longer until they needed to face the reality of their situation. He knew that living in denial, even for only another three days, wasn't the answer, but it might just make things easier to face. With a little luck, and a lot of soul searching, Sebastian would have enough time to consider all of his options and share them with Kurt, regardless of his end decisions.

Feeling better already at the prospect, Sebastian sat down on his couch, determined to enjoy an evening full of saucy texting with his boyfriend for as long as possible.

_That's the spirit. _

With only one day left until Kurt's 'get-ready-to-be-twenty bday extravaganza' (It was so like Sebastian to call it that), not hyping it up in anticipation was proving to be quite the challenge. Kurt knew whatever his boyfriend had put together would be fun, he just really wanted to know where they were going!

Ever since Kurt had gone to see Sebastian's dad with Santana, the two boyfriends had formed a silent agreement not to acknowledge that the meeting-and Sebastian's subsequent one-had happened. Such denial couldn't go on forever, which was why there was a second silent agreement to only wait until after Kurt's birthday to own up. It may not have been the most mature choice, but Kurt was very relieved to have some time to reflect.

Kurt made sure to keep in regular contact with Sebastian, usually over phone calls, text messaging, and when they'd managed to meet for lunch once. Both of their full work schedules were a big help when in came to keeping their little charade going.

It did leave Kurt in a weird headspace though, because while he was excited about his party, he was equally anxious about what would happen to them as a couple afterwards. Would Kurt's birthday festivities end up being overshadowed by Sebastian's impending departure to Paris? Or would Sebastian turn down his chance to study abroad so he could remain in Chicago.

For what felt like a hundreth time that week, Kurt willed himself to stop over analyzing things and take everything one day at a time.

Kurt was on his way to a meeting with Shelby to hear what his upcoming modelling job prospects were. Which should be fun, and a welcome distraction, but as much as Kurt loved his work with TreeTop, he was very much looking forward to having three days off in a row to celebrate his twentieth birthday. He'd taken the Monday off as a precaution in case he needed time to recover from whatever he and Sebastian discussed.

_'I just hope it turns out to be an unnecessary one,'_ Kurt thought.

He reached TreeTop Modelling's office building just as those concerned thoughts were threatening to resurface, so he took a few deep breaths to switch into business mode to save himself from his worried state. His spirits rose along with him on his short trip up the building's elevator and Kurt was all happy smiles when he stopped in front of the desk of Shelby's assistant Jessica, who instantly returned his friendly grin.

"You're right on time, Kurt." It had taken him three weeks to get her to start calling him by his first name (Mr. Hummel made Kurt feel old, especially since Jessica was three years older than him). "Miss Corcoran is inside waiting for you," Jessica informed him, gesturing to the closed door with her beautifully manicured hand.

"Thanks, Jessica," Kurt said with a wink as he walked past her to gently crack the door open, knocking lightly as he did. He knew there was no reason for such formalities, but Kurt couldn't bring himself to enter completely unannounced still.

Shelby looked up from the paperwork at her desk. "There's my favourite employee!" She chuckled when Kurt frowned at her in embarrassment. "Don't worry Kurt, I call all my models my favourite employees! Please have a seat, we have a lot to go over; you, my good sir, are becoming quite high in demand."

Even when Kurt's busy work schedule was all the proof needed, it was still hard for him to believe his modelling career had taken off so well. All this success had played havoc with his tendency to fear the worst, but most days he was too busy to have such worries. Not everything was perfect, and Kurt had messed up, like when he had kept squinting during one particularly sunny outside shoot, or the time he'd called the photographer by the wrong name for the entire shoot. But hearing Shelby's praises was very welcome, even if it was making him blush.

"I'm excited to hear what you have in store for me next."

"Not as excited as you must be about the birthday party Sebastian's putting together for you tomorrow though, right?" Shelby teased with a playful smile, which only made Kurt blush a deeper shade of pink.

It shouldn't surprise Kurt that Miss Corcoran knew about his upcoming party; he had booked the next three days off after all, and she was also close friends with Terri. Sebastian had told him how Shelby had looked out for him when he had been growing up and had even babysat him a few times. It made Kurt wonder if she knew any details about his party, but asking her about it seemed too out of line. No matter how at ease he felt with her, Shelby was still Kurt's boss first and foremost.

But he didn't see the harm in having a bit of fun with her still.

"Ah well… I don't think it's fair for me to have to compare the two…" This time his sheepish grin in response was purposely done and Kurt's adorable little act was rewarded when Shelby chuckled at him.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't be teasing you. I've just seen how giddy Sebastian's been acting about it, so I couldn't help myself."

Kurt's smile faltered slightly at hearing that. Oh, how he missed seeing the giddiness on his boyfriend's face himself.

Their discussion soon changed to the array of jobs Kurt would be taking on once he got back from his long birthday weekend. Things were going to wind down a bit, but the upside was that while Kurt would have fewer jobs, the ones he did have were for bigger agencies that would help get his name out even more. Kurt was fine with having a bit more free time on his hands a well, so he was pretty content with it all.

"So tell me Kurt, how are your college prospects faring?" Shelby asked, closing her laptop now that they'd covered everything job related.

Kurt sighed, "Not that great. The only schools I've found that offer modelling related studies aren't official colleges. I've considered applying at 'Columbia College Chicago' for their fashion studies department, but most of those relate somehow to design…" It was getting to the point where Kurt was considering going to college to learn other possible career paths for him in case his modelling career was short lived.

"Media arts is another option though; UIC has a good program for that." He'd already visited both campuses (on his own) and Kurt planned to invite Sebastian to check them out with him next. "I'm just not sure if I'll get accepted…" Another option he'd considered was enrolling at a local community college just to increase his chances and to have something to show on his application, but he wasn't sure if that would be enough.

Shelby pulled a pamphlet out of her top right desk drawer. "The reason I'm asking is because I believe I've found the perfect school for you Kurt, and quite by chance actually." She gave him an encouraging grin. "I often visit local high schools and colleges to explain to students who want to enter the modelling industry… and during one of those visits, I stopped by their guidance counselor, who is an old friend of mine. After I told her how you've been trying to find the right sort of colleges to apply to, one of her suggestions really stood out to me." Shelby held out the pamphlet for Kurt to take. "So much that I knew I had to show it to you."

Kurt glanced at the words written in bold font at the top of the pamphlet. "The Fashion Institute of Technology?" The name didn't ring a bell, which confused Kurt because he swore he'd looked at every possible college related to fashion located in Illinois. A quick inspection of the pamphlet cover again answered his question for him though.

His eyes widened. "It says that the school's in New York."

"That's right," Shelby replied, smiling. "FIT, as it's more commonly known, is a highly celebrated urban college that has over forty programs to choose from, and one of those just happens to be for fashion modelling." She beamed as Kurt as he quietly read through the pamphlet. "From what I've looked into, I think this could be a really good fit for you, Kurt-no pun intended."

Kurt was quick to agree with her assessment; the more he read in the pamphlet the more he loved the idea of enrolling there, except for one fine detail. "But it's in New York City…" He hadn't even considered looking outside of Chicago for potential schools. "And my life is here… and I've just started working for you," Kurt muttered in confusion.

"I'm aware of that," Shelby said sweetly, reaching over to pat Kurt's hand for a moment. "But sometimes life takes you places you don't expect. I know relocating to an entirely different state sounds scary Kurt, but I think you would fall in love with New York the minute you arrived."

"But-" Kurt stammered awkwardly; he didn't understand why Shelby seemed so fine with him moving so far away. Hadn't she just called him her favourite employee? As exciting as going to school in New York sounded, he hated the idea of abandoning TreeTop to make it possible. "But how I would be able to work for you still if I'm living in New York?"

He highly doubted he could manage going to college _and_ having to fly back and forth to Chicago for modelling jobs-not to mention how horribly expensive it sounded to him.

"By becoming the first employee with my soon to be launched New York branch of TreeTop Modelling Agency," Shelby answered matter-of-factly. "I've been planning it for ages and I'm finally at the point where that plan can become a reality. We're closed to sealing a deal on the location; it's going to be small at first but I'm confident it will take off relatively well after having a year's preparation."

This all sounded far too good to be true to Kurt, who was too stunned to say anything in response. There were just so many thoughts whirling around in his brain. Would his overprotective mother even agree to it? How costly would tuition end up being? And these first few doubts barely scratched the surface of what would be in his way!

"I can't imagine a school in New York would be easy to get into," Kurt muttered, more to himself than to Shelby.

Shelby, who had been watching Kurt with amusement, tutted at him. "As it happens, forty percent of FIT's applicants are admitted Kurt, but if you're really worried about it, you don't have to apply for the fall semester. You can spent the next year building up your portfolio working here at TreeTop. My New York branch should be open by the time you would need to move-if all goes to plan on my end."

With every issue solved so far, Kurt finally allowed himself to get excited at the idea. _'Just imagine me, Kurt Hummel, living in Manhattan as a fashion model college student!'_ It seemed so unbelievable, and yet Kurt wanted to believe so badly that it could be possible. He could live in a school dorm, and then if his jobs with TreeTop kept up enough he could even see himself renting a cute little shoebox apartment of his very own.

"Thank you so much for telling me about this, Shelby!" Kurt exclaimed, using her first name before he could stop himself. "I mean, Miss Corcoran! This is all happening so fast, and it might not work out, but I am going to seriously consider applying to FIT in a year."

"I'm glad to hear it. I know it won't be easy leaving all of your friends behind..." Shelby began, but she stopped herself as she was forced to watch all the colour drain from Kurt's face.

Kurt felt like the rug had been pulled out from under him and the happiness he had felt had fallen to the floor, shattering into a million pieces at his feet. How could he have forgotten the fact that if he did go to FIT, he would have to separate from the wonderful friends he had come to cherish so much. Not to mention the love of his life, and just the thought of having to be away from Sebastian was enough to trigger his anxieties.

"Oh, my god!" Kurt rasped as his breathing went haywire. His world was coming crashing down around him; he couldn't breath, he couldn't face the idea of being alone again.

Instead of frantically asking Kurt what was wrong and rushing over to his side, Shelby carefully stood up, slowly made her way over to Kurt and placed a light hand on his back. She stood behind him quietly whispering soothing noises as Kurt pushed his chair back so there was room for him to lean over.

"I'm sorry I-" Kurt wouldn't let himself cry! He had to keep himself together; he was better than this!

"It's okay Kurt, I should haven't said that so abruptly," Shelby assured, rubbing his back for encouragement.

Kurt waited until he got his breathing under better control before righting himself back up. It hadn't been a full blown panic attack, but he'd come very close. If it weren't for the new breathing practises he'd started using, things could have gotten a lot worse. Shelby's calm presence had helped him as well, though it left him feeling more than a little embarrassed now in result.

"I didn't even think about…" He couldn't even bring himself to say it; he was too scared. "I um, I guess this means I have even more things to consider..."

Shelby just nodded at him. "I understand, it's a big step and you'll want to talk to your parents, as well as Sebastian before making any decisions. But that's another reason why waiting a year until you apply might be a good idea." She placed the FIT pamphlet in his hands. "It's your decision in the end of course, and it won't be an easy one to make. Just make sure you remember I'm always here if you need me, for advice, or whatever else you might need, and I'm sure the same goes for the others who are now in your life, Kurt."

There was no way for her to know, but Shelby had just given Kurt the best advice she possibly could have, and he took it straight to heart. Her words of encouragement still weren't enough to lift the feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach, but it was enough for him to be able to stand up.

He turned to her and smiled brightly to show his appreciating. "Thank you Miss Corcoran. Whatever happens and wherever I end up, I hope I can continue working with you at TreeTop for as long as possible."

Shelby held her hand out to Kurt so they could shake on it. "That makes the two of us, but try not to worry about it too much now. Just go and enjoy your three days off." She paused to retrieve something on the floor hidden under her desk, which turned out to be a medium sized box wrapped in pretty floral print wrapping paper. "I couldn't help but get you a little something for your birthday Kurt. I hope you don't mind…"

"Not at all," Kurt quickly replied, but he did make a mental note to find out when her birthday was so he could return the favour.

He placed her lovely present on Shelby's desk in front of him so he could carefully begin unwrapping it, starting with unravelling the bright purple ribbon around it. As curious as Kurt was, he managed not to tear the wrapping too badly; underneath was an inconspicuous looking white box that Kurt opened up next.

"Oh wow!" Kurt gasped as the contents within were revealed. "It can't be!" His eyes could barely believe it! "This is-" His shaky hands reached inside to touch the soft knitted fabric just to make him believe he wasn't dreaming. "There's just no way!" But there was no denying it, Kurt was holding a genuine Dégradé cotton Wool and linen-blend cardigan! It was far too generous a gift for him to even consider accepting! But god did he want to! Running his fingers along the zigzag motif of the cardigan, Kurt stared longingly at its marigold-to-azure gradient colouring.

"Sebastian told me how you have a thing for gradient colours," Shelby explained, but Kurt was too transfixed on her gift to listen.

"Do I ever," Kurt muttered, never taking his eyes off of it. It was hard for him not to stand up and try it on, but he knew he wouldn't be able to part with it the second he did.

"Now I don't want to hear you trying to give it back to me because you think it was too expensive," Shelby warned with a teasing grin. "It was given to me by the company after we did a job for them and I knew it would be the perfect birthday present for you."

Kurt hugged his new cardigan against his chest with his eyes clothes. He didn't even care how silly he was acting. Kurt Hummel was a lover of fashion so why bother to hide it? There was no going back now. Clothes had become such a big part of Kurt's world, each morning he woke up wondering what he should wear. What he wore could project his moods in a way Kurt had never imagined.

It didn't take too much convincing from Shelby for Kurt to try the cardigan on, and her reaction to seeing him in it was utterly priceless. "You look amazing in it Kurt," Shelby exclaimed as if she the same age as her young model. "I'm going to take a photo to commemorate this happy moment."

_'I owe Sebastian so much,'_ Kurt thought as he posed for her. _'How will I ever be able to repay him?'_

"Should I send it to Sebastian?" Shelby asked when she was done. "I bet he'd appreciate seeing how well it suits you, Kurt." Her affection for Sebastian was very visible, and her sweet smile when she'd said his name had an almost maternal warmth.

Kurt shook his head; he was near to tears but this time they were from joy. He knew exactly what his fashionista boyfriend would say to that. And he was on such a happy fashion high he decided to answer by impersonating Sebastian. With an extra bit of flourish in his movements to go along with his boyfriend's habitual smug smile, Kurt sassed, "Something as splendid as this deserves to be seen in person."


	22. Chapter 22

Notes: The hope is have chapter 23 posted within 4-5 weeks at the very max, but I can't say for sure when it will be posted yet. As of right now, I have the rough draft of 23 written, but I still need some time to revise it. I want the chapter (which is the last one, not including the epilogue) the best it can possibly be. So I apologize the delay on these last two chapters. The epilogue will be posted as a separate chapter, hence the chapter count changing to 24 now. It will be posted immediately after chapter 23, so on the same day, same time. Which is another reason for the wait for them to be posted.

I hope everyone enjoys the chapter!

Chapter 22

"So are you going to tell me where we're going finally or are you planning on keeping me in the dark until the very last second?" Kurt asked, furrowing his brows, just in case his annoyance wasn't obvious enough.

Sebastian swirled the champagne in his wine glass; it was so like him to have rented a limo-even though he refused to tell his boyfriend what their destination was. In spite of how frustrated he was, Kurt had to admit he was loving the taste of luxury and the cushioned seats.

"I guess you've earned the right with how patient you've been." The sarcasm in his voice was just as transparents as Kurt's current frustrated state. "You and I are about to arrive at only the hottest gay club in all of Chicago. I thought it was about time you finally embraced the community you've joined in the best possible away-in a social setting anyway."

Kurt's eyes widened as a thousand thoughts entered his mind at the same time-and just as many emotions. What he was going to do? A gay club? Was Kurt even ready for that? Sebastian seemed to think he was, which helped, but he had never been to a club before-straight or gay. He also had never danced in front of anyone, and wasn't the music always super loud in clubs? And what if someone hit on him, or worst yet, what if someone hit on Sebastian? What if the club ended up being full of his boyfriend's many conquests? What would any one of them think they when they saw Sebastian with him?

"You should see your face right now; classic chaotic Kurt," Sebastian said, shaking his head with bemused affection.

"Yeah well, you're sure not doing anything to help me relax," grumbled Kurt, who gulped down half of his champagne in an attempt to smooth his frazzled nerves.

"There's nothing for you to get so bent out of shape over babe, you're ready, and you're definitely dressed for it too." Sebastian had come over to Kurt's house to personally deliver his gift, which was his long anticipated butterfly motif suit. "If anything, I'm the one who should be worried with how smoking hot you're looking. Every guy at the club is going to be throwing themselves at you for sure… maybe we should assign Puck as your bodyguard now that I think about it," he muttered as he began typing a message on his phone.

Kurt sure hoped Sebastian was just messing with him and not actually asking Puck to play bodyguard. "But we're both still underage." Sebastian wasn't even turning twenty for another two months!

"That's easily dealt with; you forget that this is far from my first foray into a gay club." He reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out two cards and holding them out for his boyfriend to inspect. "I've had my fake ID for years of course, but I had one made up for you and I can assure you they're quite believable."

Kurt took the ID card to see what kind of information Sebastian had entered. Most of it wasn't too bad, he'd only aged Kurt up a year to make him of legal age. His address wasn't the same but just a couple blocks away from his actual house. Kurt had to hand it to Sebastian, the ID did look completely authentic, right down to the feel of the plastic lamination.

_'I wonder what name he's used.' _The possibilities were endless, knowing his boyfriend's creative mind, and sure enough, as soon as Kurt looked at the ID to find out, he smirked at Sebastian in amusement. "Jacob Angelo? Seriously? That's the name you came up with?" It made him wonder what name Sebastian had given himself, but he'd already put his card back in his pocket, and Kurt wasn't curious enough to ask to see it.

Sebastian shrugged, smirking as he did. "It just popped into my head; I would have gone with Angelo as your first name-since you are used to being called Angel by the girls-but I thought it sounded too european, so I went with Jacob instead."

Oh how Kurt regretted telling Sebastian about his young teenage fantasy to have relations with Taylor Lautner on a dewy meadow. But it could have been worse; Sebastian could have chosen Angelo Lautner or something like that, so he should just count his blessings.

"What about my suit though? Isn't wearing all these layers is going to get too stuffy for me? I'd hate to ruin it." Kurt had barely had his suit on for fifteen minutes and he was already head over heels in love with it. Just the thought of accidentally spilling something on it, or getting sweat stains made Kurt shudder.

Once again Sebastian waved off the potential roadblock without a care in the world. "I went through every precaution imaginable and used every sealant I could think of to make sure none of the painted butterflies will come off. I even had the suit dry cleaned just to be safe and to make sure it held up; it passed with flying colours, so there's nothing to worry about." Sebastian patted Kurt's hand lovingly. "But I thought we could leave our jackets in the limo to keep our body temperatures down while we're at the club."

Kurt's sad little frown must have made his displeasure at the idea of abandoning any part of his suit quite obvious, because Sebastian replied, "Our limo driver Andy has been working for my dad for years Kurt, so he's more than trustworthy."

With his two greatest concerns dealt with, Kurt was quickly coming around to the idea. It would probably do Kurt some good to kick back, let loose and have a fun time with his friends. And what better place to do so than at a gay club with all of his friends? It also helped to be going with his boyfriend, so the fear of making a good first impression wasn't too big.

"So whattaya say Kurt, are you still in?" Sebastian asked, bringing his wineglass to his lips to finish off his champagne.

Kurt carefully stripped off his jacket, folded it up and placed on the empty seat to his right. The loss of one layer didn't diminish Kurt's stunning ensemble though, because his waistcoat underneath was adorned with painted butterflies as well.

Following his lead, Sebastian slowly began to take off his jacket, fucking Kurt with his eyes as he slipped each arm out. His little strip tease didn't last very long though, what with only one layer to remove, so it wasn't long before he placed his jacket next to Kurt's. Then he slid into Kurt, bumping their shoulders together and snapping a photo of them on his phone to commemorate the moment.

"I'd say we're both ready for a night full of drinking, dancing and having a good time wouldn't you, Kurt?"

"Oh, I'd say so indeed, Sebastian."

"Good, because we have arrived at your fabulous destination," Sebastian announced at the exact moment the limo came to a stop.

The only impression Kurt had had about clubs (gay or otherwise) was that they were loud, crowded, and virtually the last place he'd ever want to find himself in. But as Kurt stepped inside the room and heard the blaring techno music, saw the boisterous crowds of people galavanting about, he found that he was actually happy to be there. Just getting to see so many men flirting with one another as they danced closely together without anyone sneering at them or slurring hateful comments was a real eye opener. It didn't even matter that Kurt hadn't really encountered any such scenarios himself. Just the fact that a safe haven for people like this existed filled Kurt with giddy excitement.

"This place is amazing!" Kurt shouted over the loud music to Sebastian, who was right at his side.

Sebastian laughed, "I'm glad you like it. 'Cause I gotta admit, a part of me was afraid you'd bolt the second we got here."

"That makes the two of us, but I'm doing surprisingly well so far. Though I am slightly worried about my dancing abilities-or rather, my lack thereof." Kurt glanced over at the dance floor; everyone looked so much in their element, even the people who were making complete fools of themselves seemed to be having the times of their lives.

"You'll be fine once we get a few drinks in you."

Kurt eyed him warily. "Just as long as you don't plan on getting me drunk tonight…" He had no problem with getting a bit tipsy, as it would probably help him relax, and he had gotten better at knowing his limits too, so he should be fine.

"The thought never cross my mind babe, this is your night, so I'm going to be on my best behaviour here-gay man's honour," Sebastian said, crossing his heart.

What sealed the deal was when the next song started and Kurt was unable to resist lipsyncing along to the song. Call it a cliche, but Madonna had become a gay icon for a reason, and who could resist the catchiness of 'Get into the Groove?' Certainly not Kurt, who took the lyrics straight to heart as he bopped to the beat with happy enthusiasm.

Sebastian chuckled at the sight of his cheery boyfriend. "Enjoying yourself already, babe?"

"Am I ever!" Kurt exclaimed with a big grin. "There's just one thing-or rather a bunch of someones-missing before this can be a perfect evening." Kurt had expected to be bombarded by their birthday well wishes by now, but so far there was no familiar faces in the club.

Sebastian glanced at his designer watch. "They should be along any minute now; I just wanted to give you some time to adjust to your surroundings first."

"In case I couldn't take it all?" Kurt asked, only half joking.

"One can never be too careful, but I knew the chance of that happening was rather slim. Which is why I only had us arrive ten minutes before I told everyone else to show up."

Kurt leaned in forward to peck his considerate boyfriend on the lips, but his show of appreciation was cut short when he heard a familiar high pitched squeal coming from behind them! Sugar was already making a fast beeline to Kurt when he turned around to confirm her identity, and all he had time for was to brace himself for impact.

"Angel!" Sugar shouted as she tackled him with a big hug.

"Hello there!" Kurt wheezed, hugging her back. "I'm happy to see you too, Sugar."

The next to make their entrance was Unique, in a golden dress so fabulous that the crowds parted as she walked towards her friends. Puck did not get the same exalted treatment though, so it took him slightly longer to make his way over to the group.

"So much for keeping up with Sugar to keep her from steamrolling Kurt then," Unique muttered.

Puck rolled his eyes. "I'm not the one who had to stop to talk to her adoring fans."

"Unique's quite a legend around here from the times she's sung at the club," Sebastian whispered to Kurt. "If you're lucky, she must just sing something in your honour tonight, babe."

Just the thought of Kurt's being called out in such a public fashion would have been out of the question, but not if it meant he would get to hear Unique's incredible powerhouse voice. The videos he'd taken of her during his coming out party were always there whenever Kurt needed to find his inner diva again. The one of her belting out 'Peacock' by Katy Perry (his favourite by far) was always good for a giggle.

"I happen to love Sugar's hugs, and I don't feel the least bit steamrolled for the record," Kurt announced matter-of-factly; though his ribs did feel a little worse for wear.

Sugar pulled back and her eyes widened in stunned surprise all of a sudden. "Angel! Your suit!" Her excitement was so high she seemed to be at a total loss for words. "You look look so handsome!" She circled around him, examining his outfit from every angle, and when that was done, Sugar turned to Sebastian, who had been silently watching the scene unfold with a playful grin on his face.

"Sebastian wouldn't let any of us see the suit until tonight!" She explained, eyeing the designer, who winked at her.

"It seems fitting that Kurt, whom the suit was made for, should be the first one to see it," replied Sebastian as he patted Sugar lovingly on the head.

"Well the wait was sure worth it, you look smoking hot, Angel," Unique said. "Sebastian is going to need to keep an close eye on you tonight, or some hotshot's gonna try to lure you away from him for sure."

"That's what I said," Sebastian replied.

Kurt had stopped listening to them at this point, because he had just caught sight of someone who grabbed his immediate attention. _'Is that…'_ he thought, narrowing his eyes to try to make out the incoming figure better. Whoever they were, the first thing Kurt noticed was the man's sharp sense of fashion. Unlike Kurt and Sebastian, he had braved wearing his blazer jacket, which was a rich royal blue, as well as a light blue plaid dress shirt underneath, to the club. And his choice of piecing them with blue jeans created a more casual look. _'I think it is!'_

"Well look who decided to accept my invitation to join us after all," Sebastian commented as he looked in the same direction as his boyfriend.

"There you are, Blaine!" Sugar called to him once she noticed his presence.

Blaine hurried his way over, politely excusing himself when he had to brush by someone as he went. "Sorry I'm late," he muttered with a sheepish smile. "I didn't know what I should wear tonight!" His eyes shyly scanned the group nervously; what it just a trick of the light or was Blaine actually blushing? "And after seeing all of you and how great you all look, I don't think I'm near any of your levels…"

"Nonsense Blaine, I think you look positively dapper," Sebastian tutted, laying a hand on his shoulder. "You'll fit in just fine."

Kurt's surprise in seeing Blaine wasn't so much because of his outfit (which was dapper indeed), but the fact that Sugar and Puck appeared to be completely at ease with him. If anything Sugar's expression towards Blaine held the same sweet affection she had for all of her friends, and even Puck was grinning in his own subdued way.

"I'm glad you could make it, Blaine." Kurt had no plans of admitting he had no idea Blaine would be coming. As far as he was concerned; the more the merrier. But it did make Kurt feel bad for not knowing that things between Blaine, Puck and Sugar were on the mend and already well enough for him to join them all.

"I'm glad to be here." Blaine glanced around. "Though I admit I'm feeling more than a little out of my element here."

"It's not your first time going to a club though," Sebastian reminded him.

Kurt nudged his boyfriend in the side and whispered, "Lay off of Blaine, Sebastian; not all of us are _old_ pros like you." Now that their mystery guest had arrived, that left only one person (that Kurt knew of) who had yet to make her own grand appearance yet. "Any word from Santana? Or are such establishments above her London standards?" He asked Sebastian.

"Santana loves to be as fashionably late as possible, and this is me talking, but in preparation for that, I told her we were meeting up an hour ago. So either she saw through the false lead, or she's being even more tardy than usual. Either way I say we give her another five minutes before we start the party without her." Kurt was about to roll his eyes when Sebastian changed his mind."On second thought, five minutes is way too generous."

Grinning, Kurt hooked his arm with Sebastian's. "I'm with you there." He turned to look at the others. "What about you all, shall we get this party started?!"

Everyone cheered, and Kurt laughed as Sebastian ushered him over towards the bar area as the rest of the gang followed. The deeper Kurt walked into the club, the wilder it appeared to him; starting first with what everyone was wearing. Kurt used to barely acknowledge people, let alone pay attention to their clothes, but now that fashion was in his life, it was often the first thing he noticed. In this case, Kurt eyes were quickly drawn to the different types of men in his immediate vision. What a person wore could say a lot about them, and from what Kurt could tell, the guys who were more daringly dressed (or as some might say, more scantily clad) must be frequent patrons, while those were more fancily decked out might be newcomers, or perhaps they were trying to impress (or possibly land) a hot date.

A man who was dressed somewhere in between the two (tight leather pants with a maroon long sleeved shirt) stepped out of the crowd right in front of Kurt and Sebastian.

"Well look who it is!" There was no mistaking that kindhearted voice. "It's the birthday boy himself!" Elliott exclaimed with genuine excitement on his smiling face. His hair had gold highlights and his skin seemed a couple of shades darker-but the look totally worked for him.

Kurt was more than happy to accept Elliott's congratulatory hug, though the audience they'd stirred up was a different matter. But Kurt had years of shutting himself to those around him to help him ignore the stares so he could focus on Elliott's beaming face. "It's nice to see you too. I would have had Sebastian invite you to my party, but I thought he said you were still in Milan?"

"He was, as far as I knew," Sebastian said.

"My last job finished earlier than planned; I got back first thing this morning, and after having a very long nap, I decided to make use of my jetlag by hitting my favourite club!" Elliott explain with adorable enthusiasm.

Kurt was becoming more and more amazed by how Elliott could look so dangerously hot one moment and so delightfully precious the next. His charm held no bounds, which was made especially clear by those who were still hovering hopefully near him. _'I bet he's popular here,'_ he thought, especially now that Sebastian was off of the market.

"I tell you what Kurt, I'm going to buy you your first drink of the night." Elliot paused to look at Sebastian-waiting for a slight nod of consent-before he continued. "Let's see… what would be a good one to go with?" He pondered out loud as he draped his arm over Kurt's shoulder on their way to the bar counter. "When in doubt, there is nothing better than a good cocktail; the real trouble is choosing one."

"I'll leave it to your keen judgement," Kurt said, chuckling. His experiences with cocktails had been pleasant so far (Sebastian was quite the drink mixer), but he wasn't about to make any suggestions.

Sauntering up to the bar, Elliott instantly began laying on the charm with the bartender, who went right over to him without a moment's hesitance. Kurt watched with amusement as Elliott leaned on the edge of the bar with fluttering eyelashes while he made his order.

"Here we are," Elliott said a few minutes later with two drinks in hand, holding out one that was a striking pink. "I got you a sea breeze Kurt, it's not the most daring choice, but it's always been one of my favourites.

Kurt took the drink as soon as Elliott offered it to him. "It sure looks good to me!" A quick sip proved it was even more delicious than it looked! There was no burning aftertaste, just the sweet mixed with bitter taste of cranberry and… what else?_ 'Grapefruit I think.' _He eagerly took another slightly longer drink, stopping only when noticed Sebastian mouth 'slow down' to him. "Thanks for the drink."

"You're welcome, but I'd better get you back to your friends before they feel like they've been abandoned."

"You could always buy them all drinks to win them over."

"I think Puckerman has it covered already," Elliott observed with a gesture toward the bar.

It was clear to Kurt that Puck didn't have Elliott's charm with men, but his formidable stare seemed to get the same results, because the bartender quickly took his drink orders and began whipping them up. "That's another way to get a drink I guess," Kurt said.

Elliott grinned as he watched the scene unfold with bemusement. "Something tells me that Puck is Eddie's-that's the bartender-type… and he has no idea." He chuckled as he sipped as his drink. "Man have I been there, in both scenarios actually."

Kurt found it hard to believe that Elliott had ever been that socially awkward, but he wasn't about to admit it. Instead he decided to see things for himself, and sure enough, Kurt immediately noticed how noticed how oblivious Puck seemed to be to the flirty little glances that Eddie kept casting his direction. _'Poor guy,'_ he thought, for about a second, but Kurt's sympathies were quickly rendered moot when another guy started flirting back with Eddie. The fact that this new guy wasn't the original object of Eddie's affection didn't appear to bother him either. _'All well that ends well then,'_ he thought, grinning.

Kurt and Elliott were on their way back to the others when they heard Puck shout 'a little help here; I only got two hands' and before either of them could give their aid, a navy blur rushed by them to take two of the six drinks Puck had ordered and hurried back to graciously hand them to Unique and Sugar.

"I haven't seen this one before," Elliott said to the group. His expression was that of polite interest with just the hint of playfulness.

"I'll introduce you when he get's back," offered Sebastian, but unfortunately, he never got the chance; as soon as Blaine handed Unique and Sugar their drinks, he was on the move again. "Or not."

With impressive maneuverability, Blaine dashed back to the bar in a zigzag pattern, taking the last two remaining drinks before Puck even had the chance. Upon his return, Blaine handed Sebastian his drink and with his job was done, went back into socializing mode. It took him a couple of seconds to realize one of the group was someone who he hadn't met yet. When his brain finally kicked in and saw Elliott in all of his handsome glory, a tidal wave of shock and awe washed over his face.

_'Can't say I blame him though,'_ Kurt thought with a sympathetic smile.

When it came apparent that Blaine was too transfixed by Elliott's good looks to introduce himself, Sebastian it seemed had decided to do it for him.

"Blaine," Sebastian said to catch his attention. "May I introduce to you Elliott Gilbert." He gestured to Elliott, who was on his right before continuing the introduction. "Elliott, this is Blaine Anderson, who is a former college classmate of Kurt's, in addition to being Puck and Sugar's longtime friend."

Kurt completely understood the effect Elliott was having on Blaine, who hadn't really been exposed (to his knowledge anyway) to so many gorgeous gay men in one place. So it was little wonder that Blaine was a little dumbfounded. Up until this point, Kurt had always been the awkward newbie, so he'd never gotten to see such a scenario as a mere observer. Kurt wondered if he had looked so bewildered when he'd first encountered Sebastian.

In reality, Blaine's momentary lapse lasted for only a second or two, and was broken when Elliott extended his hand in a friendly greeting.

"It's nice to meet you, Blaine."

"It's very nice to meet you too!" Blaine shook Elliott's hand. "I'd heard about you from Sugar recently-about how Sebastian's taken on some of your jobs-so it's nice to finally put a face to the name."

Someone out in the distance called out Elliott's name and he shouted back with amazing vocal power. "I think my friends have noticed my long absence." He turned to face Kurt. "I'd better go, make sure you have yourself a happy birthday now." Elliott said, hugging him. "I better catch you all out on the dance floor sometime tonight all right!"

Blaine was the only one still staring in the direction Elliott had disappeared into the crowd even after he was long gone.

"Blaine," Puck muttered with a shake of his head as he draped his arm over his friend's shoulder. "I know what you're thinking, and while I'm not gonna deny how pretty Elliott is, I hate to break it to ya, but he is _way_ out of your league right now okay?" He led Blaine over to where others were standing a few feet away. "Let me put this in sports terms for you; you and Elliott aren't playing on the same field; he's in the major leagues and has had years of practice, and since you are a newcomer, I think you should try your luck with the minor leagues before shooting that high, bro."

Kurt considered himself the farthest thing from a sports fan, but he managed to follow Puck's analogy well enough to understand it. _'I wonder what league I'm in.'_ Had he graduated from the minor ranks yet? Kurt thought he'd had some good home runs since his debut. The one thing Kurt knew was that Sebastian was in the all star category for sure.

"Says the man who has been dating the same girl since he was fourteen. When have you ever tried to pick up someone, Noah?" Sebastian commented with a smug smirk before turning his attention to Blaine. "If you want my opinion Blaine, I definitely think you'd have a shot with Elliott, so I say, go for it!"

Blaine let out an awkward laugh. "Thanks for the encouragement, but I don't think so. It's not like I need to flirt with guys to have fun tonight."

"True," Kurt weighed in. "But there's nothing stopping you from flirting with someone… you know…" He grinned at Blaine, but he made sure he didn't go too far with his teasing. "...if the inspiration strikes you."

"I think I'll be good," assured Blaine, who seemed to be taking all this attention in good stride.

Their moment of fun at Blaine's expense soon passed when Sebastian led them all of the large booth he'd reserved for the night. Kurt had the spot of honour right in the middle with Sebastian on his right and Sugar on his left. While Kurt's days of sitting on the sidelines were long gone, he was happy to have a relaxing moment among his friends as they all worked on their first round of drinks. There would be plenty of time to get up and get his groove on tonight, more than plenty Kurt bet, knowing how Sebastian operated-and Kurt could hardly wait for it all to happen!

Sebastian raised his pineapple-garnished blue cocktail and addressed the group. "Friends," he began, winking at Kurt once he'd finished smiling at everyone else. "We are gathered here tonight to pay homage to the amazing Kurt Hummel, who turned twenty-years-old today." He wasn't even trying to hide the loving adoration in his eyes as he continued to gaze at his now blushing boyfriend. "I'm gonna be brief here, because if I were to allow myself to speak fully from the heart, it would take me all night."

"Oh, thank god," Kurt whispered under his breath, not because he didn't want to hear Sebastian sing his praises, but because Kurt didn't want to become an emotional wreck (not even from happiness) in such a public place.

"But if you will allow me a quick moment of indulgence..." It was never wise to forget Sebastian's keen sense of hearing. "Kurt, when you came into my life… it took my breath away, 'cause your love had found it's way…" Sebastian took Kurt's hand and placed it on the left side of his chest. "... to my heart."

But instead of falling under his spell, Kurt eyed his boyfriend with playful suspicion. Sebastian's words, while endearing, sounded far too rehearsed (and too cheesy) for them to be his usual sweet nothings, and then there was that cheeky grin of his to consider as well. Something fishy was going on. _'Those sound like song lyrics to me.'_

"Hah! You're just ripping off the song 'When You Came into My Life' by the Scorpions!" Puck interrupted with a big smirk on his face, shattering Sebastian's romantic charade.

"The Scorpions, Sebastian? Really?" Teased Unique.

"What can I say, after hearing the song on the radio one night, I realized how perfectly the lyrics described my feelings for Kurt," Sebastian said, shrugging. "So I figured, why not use them to my advantage."

Kurt's exposure to music was so limited that he couldn't recall the song at all, let alone remember any of the lyrics. He'd never listened to the radio, or watched MTV in his youth, and he'd hated any sort of noise when he was busy studying. Ever since Kurt had gained friends and a life that he actually enjoyed his aversion to music had begun to change, but at a very slow pace: he was still a casual listener at best. So a night spent dancing a trendy club seemed like the perfect place for Kurt to make a real effort to broaden his musical horizons.

"Now that Noah's ruined my fun, I'll just skip ahead to the end part." Sebastian raised his glass up in the air once again. "To Kurt, you are one in a million. Happy birthday, babe!"

The others quickly joined in to toast to Kurt's name and give him their own birthday wishes, and Kurt, who was smiling from ear to ear, thanked each and every one of them.

Kurt was the last one sitting at their booth; everyone else had already finished their drinks and were waiting for him to do the same. It wasn't that Kurt felt reluctant to head off and dance, he was just really enjoying his Sea Breeze and didn't want to guzzle the rest of it down. His friends might be too impatient to sit back and enjoy themselves for a few minutes, but the way Kurt saw it there was no need to rush. It was super early by club standards, so why were they acting like it was an hour before last call?

"Are you finished with your cocktail, babe? The dance floor is calling to us." He cupped his ear with his hands in a dramatic fashion. "Can't you hear it? It's the sound of fun, which none of us are really having right now," Sebastian said.

Kurt loudly slurped up the remnants of his drink. It hardly surprised him that Sebastian was the first one to speak up, and for him to do so in his usual snarky way. But then, Kurt had missed seeing that side of him, and the chance to flirt back like they used to all the time.

"Okay, I'm done now," Kurt chimed, sliding to the end of the booth to stand up. "Thanks for waiting for me."

"You can thank me by letting me claim your first dance of the night," Sebastian replied with a flirtatious grin.

"I'll think about it on our way to the dance floor." Kurt grabbed onto Sebastian, who was busy chuckling, to start them off in the right direction. With their friends a few steps behind them, Kurt and Sebastian wove their way through the groups of men to reach the centre of the dance floor. It had been touch and go in a few places-literally: Kurt had stumbled and accidentally gotten to second base with some guy wearing a skin tight tank top-but thankfully that was it.

Kurt stared at the sheer number of guys dancing around them and had to laugh at himself. It made him feel silly that he used to feel like such a minority.

"You doing all right, babe?" Sebastian asked, squeezing Kurt's hand.

Kurt nodded. "I'm fine."

As if by magic, the song that started playing next was the nineteen-eighties hit 'Relax'. Taking the lyrics to heart, Kurt breathed in deeply. He hadn't lied to Sebastian, he felt perfectly fine, he just couldn't ignore how he was facing everything he had always loathed; crowds, loud music, sweltering heat, drunken debauchery, and worst of all, tight quarters.

But that was the old, disgruntled Kurt who had nothing in his life to look forward to (may he rest in peace), and those days were long behind him. Now Kurt was ready to face all of those former fears and actually embrace them-gay club style, and what better way to do so than when he was amongst his friends on his birthday?

The only thing holding Kurt back was the fact that he'd never danced before, and thus had no idea what to do with his body. This was what he got from skipping every single school dance both in junior and senior high school. (Though in all fairness, even if he had attended any, he doubted it would have help him right now.) The closest Kurt had ever come to dancing was when he'd walked the runway to music during the SAIC fashion show.

Kurt's eyes lit up with happy excitement; that was it! All Kurt needed to do was channel his inner model and use his natural grace to wing it! As his friends began to dance around with envious ease, Kurt closed his eyes. Little by little, Kurt let the music wash over him, and he began to tap his foot to the beat.

Biding his time, Kurt's eyes snapped at the exact same moment the words 'relax' were sung. The world around him slowly came into focus; Kurt felt as if he were spinning in place. As the stars in his eyes from the dazzling lights above began to fade, the first thing he caught sight of was the breathtaking man dancing silently in front of him. For a moment Kurt stood there staring at him like an awkward wallflower, but soon Sebastian's sultry body rolls magnetized Kurt to him, pulling him in; there was no chance of escape, giving in was the only option, so he did, headfirst and without any hesitation. Ignoring the turning heads as he strutted by, Kurt grabbed his unsuspecting target by the face, and before Sebastian could react, Kurt went in for the kill, kissing him full on the mouth.

Adrenaline pumped through Kurt's veins, fueling the passion crashing through his body as he pressed harder into Sebastian's body without breaking the rhythm of their dancing. His heartbeat thundered in his ears and he felt as if he were on fire. Sebastian's mouth was so hot and demanding; Kurt pushed his tongue into his boyfriend's mouth and couldn't help smiling at Sebastian's moan when he pulled it back again. More, Kurt needed more, and he kept coming back for it, kissing Sebastian again and again, until the sensations blurred together. Kurt was so far gone, the touch of Sebastian's hands on his neck barely registered in his mind. He was done for at this rate.

But then the song stopped, and in the moment of quiet Kurt came back to reality. He jerked his head back, almost at the exact same did Sebastian did and it was enough for the couple to tear apart.

Stunned into silence, they stared at one another in disbelief, but their standoff lasted only as long as the short interlude between songs. In unison Kurt and Sebastian broke into hysterical laughter over their shameless act. The next song was drowned out by their continued laughter, and at least in Kurt's case there was no end in sight. He couldn't help himself, it was just so damn funny, and Kurt didn't even know why!

Sebastian threw his head back and laughed without any remorse. "Fucking hell, Kurt!" He pulled Kurt into his arms and snickered into his neck. "You never cease to amaze me." His words were like a sweet caress, and his adorable laughter was music to Kurt's ears.

"I dunno what came over me," Kurt muttered, giggling. "I dunno why I'm laughing so much either."

"Does this mean the honeymoon period is over for us?"

"Oh, Sebby, you naive lovesick fool, you two left that stage ages ago and are well into old-married-couple-land now," a snarky yet familiar feminine voice answered before Kurt could.

A quick turn to their right revealed a stunningly dressed Santana in a hot pink snake print v-neck dress with five inch black stiletto heels. But her bombshell appearance did nothing to lesson Kurt's desire to give her a catty reply.

"Oh, please," Kurt said, rolling his eyes. "I'd like to see an old married couple pull off a hot public makeout session like we just did minutes ago."

"Hot? More like trashy, Hummel, and it's gonna take a lot of drinks to wipe the disturbing image from my brain." She crossed her hands over her chest and shook her head at the pair in disgrace. "I bet you two exhibionists haven't even noticed the stir your little _show_ has caused."

Unconvinced, Kurt looked out into the crowd and while he did see some guys glance their way, that was about it. No one was directly addressing them, and no one seemed all that shocked. That is, until Kurt's eyes fell on his friends, which had to be whom Santana was referring to. The array of emotions between the four of them couldn't have been more different: Sugar was beaming from ear to ear like she was a groupie with a front row seat to her favourite show; Unique on the other hand was smirking at the pair with approval; Puck, like Kurt and Sebastian had done, was chuckling away; and then there was Blaine, who was wide eyed, dead still and blushing bright red from forehead to neck.

Sebastian turned back to Santana and shrugged. "This place has seen far worse and you know it." He would never apologize for his actions of course, but Sebastian seemed to have decided that something should be done , because he flagged over a server and said something to them.

"Shots are on me!" He announced when he'd finished making his order.

That seemed to be enough for all to be forgiven, and even Santana gave up her taunting remarks to dance with the group as they waited for their drinks to arrive. Kurt willed himself to do the same, and even though he feel a little sheepish about his over the top PDA with Sebastian, he couldn't stay out of his boyfriend's arms for very long. By the time their shots were brought over Kurt had his arms draped on Sebastian's shoulders as they danced closely together.

"Oh for fuck's sake Sebastian! Did you have to go and order us blow jobs!" Puck shouted at his smirking friend.

"What is he talking about?" Kurt blurted out. He did realize that Puck meant their shots, it was just more fun to ask.

Sebastian grinned and started handing the shot glasses around; they looked to be made of some kind of liqueur, based on the coffee-like colour, and had whipped cream on the top. "That's what the shooter's called: a blow job, which consist of Baileys Irish Cream, Kahlúa and Amaretto with whipped cream topping."

Puck was the last one to give in and accept his blow job, but he did eventually, though he clearly wasn't happy about it.

"Now the correct way to drink a blow job is to place your hands behind your back, then; pick-up the shot glass with your mouth, tilt your head back, and drink." Sebastian explained. "So we should take these bad boys over to our booth."

On the way there, Puck ended up drinking his the old fashioned way by throwing it down in one gulp with his hand. Though when they made it to their booth, there was an extra blow job waiting for them at the table, which made Puck swear 'mother fucker' under his breath.

Sebastian ignored him and showed everyone how it was done, and with such finess, Kurt found himself a little turned on by his boyfriend's show of prowess. Sugar and Unique followed him next, and did themselves proud, and Kurt was keen to try his luck next. It sure looked simple enough, so Kurt gave it his best shot and he managed well enough that he didn't spill any of his in his attempt. The act done, Kurt licked his lips, tasting the lingering sweet kahlúa mixed with whip cream flavour on them.

That only left Puck and Blaine to partake, and Kurt swore Puck was going to defy Sebastian for a second time and not bother. But then, to everyone's surprise, Blaine went next and they all went wild, cheering him on, save for Puck, who watched as his usually mild managed friend let out his wild side to flawlessly swig back his blowjob.

"Why am I not surprised," Sebastian whispered in amusement to Kurt, who playfully elbowed him and told him to shush.

Blaine took his now empty shot glass out of his mouth and placed it on the table. "That wasn't actually too hard at all." He wasn't blushing like a bashful schoolboy anymore, in fact, Kurt thought he looked rather in his element.

"You're not gonna let Blaine show you up are you Noah? I mean, it's not like this is your first blow job," Sebastian placed his arm around Puck's neck and waved the shot glass under his nose to entice him. "It's always been your go to shooter drink of choice whenever you hit the clubs."

Puck rolled his eyes. "Only because you kept ordering them for me!" Everyone laughed and he groaned from the memory. "Seriously, for two months straight Sebastian forced blow job after blow job on me-" It took him a second to realize what he was saying and stop, but it was already too late, the group was in stitches.

Defeated and most likely needing a drink to help him cope, Puck took the drink out of Sebastian's hand and put it on the table. His friend were too busy laughing to give him any words of support, but he hardly needed any. In one swift move, Puck had the shot glass by the mouth and as he put his hands behind his back, he tilted his head back until the contents ran down his throat.

"You know what, you guys are a bunch of assholes," Puck grumbled when he was finished.

Blaine was the first to console Puck, patting him on the shoulder. "I'm sorry, let me make it up to you buddy, I'll buy you whatever drink you want."

"I'd better not. I've had enough already. The first thing you need to learn Blaine, is to never let your guard down when Seb's prowling around, or next thing you know you'll be knee deep in blow jobs!" This time Puck's pun was intended and he laughed along with Blaine like two silly peas in a pod.

Seeing them so at ease with each other it was actually hard to believe there had been such a rough falling out between them. Kurt had known that Puck would have no issues with Blaine coming out to them, but it was still nice to confirm it with his own eyes.

Puck, who had to be feeling the two shots and beer he'd drunk, gave Blaine a friendly nuggie, which wasn't easy, considering the hair gel Blaine's head was sporting, but he managed, and without getting too much of it on his knuckles.

"Ah Blainey, you're the best, bro." Puck looked out into the crowd. "We seriously need to find you a guy, 'cause someone as awesome as you deserves a piece of the action!" He began to bob his head to the music. "Come on!" He shouted, tugging on Blaine's arm to get him moving. "Let's go get your virgin ass laid!"

"Oh you don't have to-" Blaine sputtered off, to no avail, as he was pulled into the fray.

Sebastian shook his head. "I'd better keep an eye on them." He gave Kurt's shoulders a quick squeeze and kissed him on the cheek before he trailed after Puck and Blaine. "Shame on you for labelling Blaine when you have no idea what he's even into!" He caught up to them fairly quickly and added, "I bet he's not even sure what he's into at this point either!"

"Should we do something?" Kurt asked the ladies with a concerned frowned.

"I know what I'm gonna do." Santana, who had been sitting on the edge of the booth, stood up and started walking forward. "I'm gonna go watch Puck and Sebastian try to pick up guys for Blaine, because that is one show I know I don't want to miss." She turned to check to see if anyone else might want to join her, but when neither Kurt, Unique, nor Sugar showed any inkling of wanting to, she simply shrugged and went on her own merry way.

"I wouldn't worry about it too much Angel, Blaine is a pretty adaptable guy, so he'll be fine. Puck used to drag him into all sorts of trouble when he were kids, but it was usually Blaine who ended up saving their asses-or me," Sugar assured Kurt.

Unique nodded in agreement. "And Sebby's actually a damn good wingman to boot. I'd say Blaine is in the best of hands right now."

"If you say so," Kurt relented, taking his eyes away from the spot they had disappeared into. He supposed the fact that Blaine hadn't come running back in terror (yet anyway) was a good enough sign.

He flopped down in the booth and let out a loud breath; it probably would be a good idea to take a breather for a bit and be away from Sebastian. The combination of booze and the way his boyfriend kept grinding against him on the dance floor had already proved to be too hard for him to resist.

"Santana was exaggerating right? What Sebastian and I were doing wasn't _that_ bad…" Because Kurt found it very hard to believe that men passionately making out wasn't just another average day at a club like this.

"Oh that was nothing for this place, Angel," Unique quickly replied; Kurt wanted to hug her but he managed not to.

"Unique's right, I've seen guys do way worse here… there was this one time I got a bit more drunk that I'd planned and I accidently went in the men's room and I didn't realize my error until I walked in on two guys going at it in one of the stalls!" Sugar exclaimed.

Kurt nearly choked on his drink in surprise. "Oh no! You poor thing! That must have been embarrassing."

"For me yes, but not for them." Sugar plopped herself down beside Kurt. "Let me tell you, walking in on strangers is nothing like it is in pornos!"

A worried thought entered Kurt's mind. "I hope Sebastian wasn't one of those guys!"

"No he wasn't, I swear, Angel!" Sugar blurted out. "I've never walked in on him when he's been a with a guy before actually… at least not when he was having full on sex with one anyway. There have been a couple of close calls though… one time I stopped by his apartment to find him feeling up this totally hot latino guy against his front-" All of a sudden she stopped talking and threw her arms over Kurt to hug him. "I'm so sorry! What am I even saying!"

Kurt had a good guess why she was acting so grief stricken. "It's okay Sugar, I'm fully aware that Sebastian has had his fair share of men before we got together-some of which I am sure are in this club right now." He'd probably even fucked a number of them in the same bathroom stall Sugar had stumbled into by mistake.

"It's true that boy has around the block and all, but it might surprise you to know that I've never seen him lose control like he did with you tonight, Angel," Unique said.

Kurt blushed. "Really?" Both Unique and Sugar nodded at him with matching grins. "Well that's encouraging to hear."

It felt good for Kurt to have a chance to share some girl talk; as much as he loved Sebastian's company, he had missed his ladies a lot. He hated how he'd allowed himself to grow so out of touch over the past few weeks. So he welcomed the chance to catch up and find out what was going on in their lives, and then, maybe (if there was time) they could indulge in a little boy talk too.

Kurt raised his hand to catch the attention of the server who had brought their shots and asked for three waters. He listened to Sugar tell how her job as Isabelle's assistant was going and how much she was enjoying it.

"I never thought getting people coffee could be so rewarding!" Sugar gushed. "That's not all that I do of course, Auntie Izzie has me do a lot of fun stuff for her too. Just this Thursday I got to help her dress the models for the main window of her shop, and she never lets anyone do that!"

A shift in the crowd surrounding the dance floor suddenly revealed Blaine, Sebastian, Puck and Santana, who were all dancing with one another. Sebastian and Blaine were the closest together, but were keeping their hands to themselves as they danced around each other and neither was focused on each other for too long. Kurt watched with amusement as Blaine broke off into his own solo moves as the other three cheered him on. Laughing away, Kurt watched as Santana danced up to them and actually began twerking against Blaine and Sebastian. Then, if that wasn't already a sight, Blaine joined in, shaking his own ass to the beat.

"That's one way to get attention I guess," Unique said.

Sugar giggled. "Blaine sure looks like he's having fun."

"Maybe Sebastian got him another blow job." Kurt wondered if Sebastian would dare to mention the first blow job he'd given him if that were true. He would have made a joke about it to the girls, but he wasn't sure if they knew that story. "I'm glad things are going so well between you three," Kurt said instead; there had been no word of their reconciliation on Kurt's end, so he was dying for details.

Sugar smiled warmly as Blaine and the others disappeared out of sight again. "So am I. Blaine called Puck and I out of the blue about a week ago and begged us to meet up with him. It took a lot of convincing to get Noah to agree to go, and he only did after Blaine called him up himself." She played with the straw of her water absentmindedly as she talked. "I had no idea what to expect. I kept asking myself; why did Blaine wait so long to face us? But then after he sat down and told us… everything suddenly made sense. It was a huge surprise though, hearing that Blaine was gay and used to have a crush on Noah. But when I looked over at Blaine and saw how nervous he was-his hands were shaking-I knew in my heart that it was finally time to forgive and forget."

The fact that Sugar was having this conversation when Unique was with them told Kurt that she knew the story already. A small part of him felt a little jealous of that, but no matter how close he and Sugar had become, Unique had known her longer. But this wasn't about Kurt, this was about Blaine, Sugar and Puck and how they had finally put the past behind them.

"Blaine also told us how he spoke to you first Kurt, and how much it helped him prepare for coming out to us." Her smiled changed to become more playful. "And he also told how he and Sebastian first _met_ at a club last summer."

"Small world, huh?" Kurt replied with a wink.

"Blaine's hung out with us a lot since then and it's been great. There's no awkwardness between us at all… it makes me wish he hadn't waited so long to tell us…"

"He had to do it in his own time, when he was ready to," Unique said, and Kurt agreed with her completely, in fact, he had planned to say basically the same thing himself.

But he couldn't help but think that on the other hand, a person could have all the time in the world to face their fears and never feel ready enough to. Kurt didn't want to be that person anymore, he had vowed to stop living in permanent denial, and for the most part, he felt that he'd made a lot of headway in that aspect. And yet, even after all he had accomplished over the past four months-admitting he was unhappy with his life, learning to trust others, forming real friendships, coming out, falling in love with Sebastian-he knew in his heart that the biggest fear he would have to overcome was the fear of being alone again.

The mission to get Blaine Anderson laid didn't go exactly as planned, or rather, as Puck had planned anyway. Sebastian actually thought that their efforts, however little, had gotten some good results, and the proof was right in front of him. Blaine was now dancing with a rather hot number in a sweater vest of all things. But since the vest was clearly designer, impeccably made, and worked well with his stylish glasses, Sebastian approved of Blaine's dance partner, even if he was a bit too clean cut for Sebastian's tastes. The two made quite an attractive pair as they shyly danced together, and if Blaine played his cards right, he would be going home with sweater boy's number (at the very least).

Since Blaine seemed to have everything under control, Sebastian swivelled around on his barstool to rest his arms on the counter. Before he had gotten together with Kurt, clubs like this had been Sebastian's home away from home. He'd often spent more time in them than his apartment actually, and yet now, they had lost their appeal to him. Oh he was still enjoying himself of course, just not for the same reasons. Everything was different now; Sebastian wasn't here to find his next lay, he was here to simply enjoy the atmosphere and the company of his friends, and most of all, introduce his boyfriend to the new environment.

It amazed him that no one had approached him yet; he used to be such a legend here! So one would think that the fact that Sebastian Smythe, after being MIA for months, had suddenly returned to the gay club scene with an attractive man on his arm that no one had seen before would have been big news! But nooo, no one seemed to give a shit. At all. _'That's men for you, so fickle.'_

Sebastian told himself it was good that no one had noticed, because the last thing he wanted was an old conquest of his to cross a line and make Kurt feel uncomfortable. Thank goodness Kurt was safely with the ladies right now; if anyone could keep the creeps away, it was Unique and Sugar.

With beer in hand, Puck slumped down on the stool next to Sebastian. "Yah know what Seb, Blaine doesn't need two babysitters-hell, he probably doesn't need any at all, with the way he's scoring-I got this, so you don't need to stick around here."

It hadn't taken Sebastian long to notice that the number of words Puck used in a sentence often directly correlated with how many drinks he'd had in a night, and right now, he was leaning more towards chatty-tipsy rather than full-out-belting out-the-star-spangled-banner-wasted.

"You can go on ahead and go back to Kurt," Puck continued. "I'm sure you two must be missing each other like crazy."

Sebastian took a long drink of the Long Island Ice Tea (his trademark clubbing drink) the bartender had just put down in front of him. "I'll head back soon. " He placed some dollar bills into the tip jar.

"Ah-hah! I knew it! I fucking knew it! Something _is_ going on between you two!" Puck shouted all of a sudden, violently thrusting his finger at Sebastian. "Sugar said I was being crazy but I knew the weird vibe I've been sensing from you guys all night was legit!"

"If you ask me, I don't think you know that you're talking about, Noah," Sebastian threw back with a little more snark behind his voice than he'd bargained on. But he didn't panic, because that would have been the worst thing he could have done. Sebastian just grinned at Puck and his silly, albeit correct accusations and, like he had thousands of times before, calmly shrugged them off.

"Shrug all you want Seb, but I'm not buying it! You're avoiding each other."

Sebastian switched to rolling his eyes, though it brought him little satisfaction. The urged to add in some back handed insults to really throw Puck off of the trail was hard for Sebastian to resist.

"And where were you when Kurt and I started making out on the dance floor?"

"You mean when you and Kurt sucked face as way to distract each other from what's really going down? Yeah I saw it-loud and clear; that's when I told Sugar something weird was going on with you two."

The fact that Puck wasn't offering any guesses to what exactly was going on between Sebastian and Kurt was one upside at least. It made him glad that he hadn't spoken to any of his friends about what had happened with Kurt, Santana, and his dad, or the many tough decisions he'd had to make afterwards.

Sebastian stared at the drink in his hand; what could he say to make Puck back off? Should he lie? It would be so easy to, but he was so tired of lying; to everyone, and himself. He really didn't want to unleash his problems on Puck either though.

"I'm here if you wanna talk about it." Puck's words were so endearing, the temptation for Sebastian to confess everything to him was strong.

"I can't, sorry," Sebastian said with a sigh. "I appreciate it, but I promised myself I would talk to Kurt before anyone else." And while he still intended to, his plans to wait until tomorrow suddenly weren't holding up so well anymore.

Now Puck was the one to shrug. "Go ahead then and do whatever you feel you need to do. I'm not gonna force you to go be with Kurt."

Sebastian narrowed his eyes. "Who said you would even need to?" It wasn't like him to get so defensive. He would have blamed it on his Long Island Ice Tea, but he had barely drunk any of it yet. "I'm just giving Kurt some time to gab with the girls before I-"

"_Sure_ you are," Puck interrupted, winking. He was channeling some Sebastian Smythe level smugness, the little fucker: well two could play at that game.

Rising from his stool, Sebastian laid a hand on Puck's shoulder. "Your concern is appreciated, but unnecessary Noah. Who knew there was such a caring and kindhearted softy behind your bad boy exterior, huh?" Sebastian swore he saw Puck smile slightly from the compliment before he drank more of his beer.

"Go see your fucking boyfriend, Seb," ordered Puck.

But Sebastian never got the chance to give any cutting remarks in reply; his smart alec words were quickly forgotten when he caught sight of Kurt, who was walking towards them along with Unique and Sugar. The butterflies on Kurt's waistcoat danced in the disco lights of the club; illuminating his beautiful face so his blue eyes almost sparkled. Or maybe that was just how Kurt always looked to him. Either way, the effect was immediate, and Sebastian headed towards his stunning boyfriend before his movements even registered in his brain.

Kurt seemed to be off in his own little world with the girls, so he didn't even see Sebastian coming.

"Hey there," Sebastian said, using his legendary smooth pick up voice. "I'm not usually this forward." Man that was utter bullshit, and yet Kurt didn't call him out on it, he just fluttered his eyelashes as if they had never met before. "But I saw you from the bar and I knew if I didn't come over and speak to you, I would regret it for the rest of my life."

As if he were born to it, Kurt coy's grin held the perfect amount of flirtatiousness, and the clear yet subtle want in his eyes was spot on too. If Kurt's life had gone differently, Sebastian could have had quite the club rival on his hands. And speaking of hands on…

"What would it take for you to say yes to a dance with me, gorgeous?"

"Well for starters, you can quit it with the gorgeous talk and introduce yourself." Kurt was really working it; from the way he kept smiling, to how he was slowly moving closer to Sebastian as they talked, Kurt's seduction tactics were surprisingly good. Or not so surprisingly actually, since there had been plenty of chances for Kurt to practice his game since they'd started dating. The reason he was scoring so well at the moment had very much to do with how much Sebastian had missed his boyfriend's flirtations, but Sebastian would have been impressed anyway.

Sebastian had started this whole charade on a whim, and yet he very much wanted to see it through now. Just for a little bit, before he had to put an end to their fun and tell his boyfriend everything.

"Sebastian Smythe, at your service," he said, extending his hand to Kurt, but before he could shake it, he caught Kurt's fingers, brought them to his lips, and brushed the softest of kisses across them. "And who might you be?" He released Kurt's hand. "Other than being the most beautiful man I have ever seen."

An even flirtier smile spread across Kurt's face; he sure seemed to be enjoying himself. Good. This was exactly what they both needed, one last little distraction to keep their minds off of things for a couple more hours.

"Kurt Hummel, flattered, as well as interested," Kurt replied, smiling. "Now… about that dance…"


	23. Chapter 23

Notes:

The epilogue will be posted immediately after this chapter. My ends thoughts/notes/thank yous will be then.

Here's the song mentioned playing at the club for those who are interested.  
watch?v=1WfD7nEoAWM

Chapter 23 ~ Final chapter

Kurt and Sebastian's little strangers charade lasted for about forty-five minutes before it began to fall apart. Things had started out well enough, but there were too many little quirks about Sebastian for Kurt to notice. All it would take was for Sebastian to grin at him in a certain way, or touch him in one of his sweet spots and that was it, Kurt would be suddenly thrown off of his game. In his defense, Sebastian was using the cheesiest pick up lines imaginable, so it was no wonder Kurt had been the first one to crack.

He was still shaking his head over the ridiculous things Sebastian had said to him during their last dance. He was sitting at their booth alone while everyone else-including his shameless boyfriend-was off doing their own thing. In Sebastian's case, he had gone off 'to get some water,' but if that were true, then he would have been back by now.

Kurt wasn't worried; he and Sebastian had spent most of the night together, and he was free to go off on his own. In fact, Kurt appreciated a quiet moment to himself, though quiet in this case was a loose term. The blaring music and loud chatter around him was practically drowning, and yet Kurt found it oddly comforting.

Sebastian was keeping something from him, something big, something he didn't want to admit at all, and there was no mistaking it. Kurt had expected this of course, and despite his boyfriend's efforts to keep this hesitance from him, Kurt knew denial when he saw it. Mainly because he had been doing the same exact same thing all night. The only thing Kurt didn't know was what Sebastian didn't want to tell him. Had he decided to go to Paris? Had he turned the offer down? Or was there something else Kurt wasn't even aware of?

"I have my own secrets as well," Kurt reminded himself. Somehow he had to tell Sebastian about his plans to go to New York for college in a year. The plan he'd cooked up was to wait until Sebastian shared his news, and then do the same.

Kurt buried his hands in his face. "I'm such a fucking coward…"

What brought Kurt back from the deeps of despair wasn't his own inner strength but his surprise in hearing the sound of slow guitar music. Confused, Kurt lifted his head back in time to see the pace in the club shift. In an instant, the frantic dance movements of the club goers winded down as they came together to dance in romantic unison.

'What's going on?' Kurt wondered aloud, but before he could think about it further, Sebastian parted through the crowd. "Sebastian? What is-" Kurt's question was cut short by Sebastian, who put his fingers to his boyfriend's lips to quiet him.

_You give me your smile.  
A piece of your heart.  
You give me the feel I've been looking for._

"Is this..." Kurt began, pausing to listen to the lyrics again.

_Your innocent love._

_You are the one I've been waiting for._

_I've been waiting for._

Sebastian stopped to stand in front of Kurt with his hand extended. "May I have this dance?"

"Sure." Kurt placed his hand in Sebastian's with a warm smile; he felt like was a prince in his very own unconventional fairy tail. Sebastian's arms encircled Kurt's waist once they made it to the edge of the dance floor. "I didn't think clubs played slow songs like this."

"They do if you called in enough favours with the DJ," Sebastian replied with a grin, swaying to the music.

Ah. Kurt should have known; he decided to simply enjoy it. He laid his head on his boyfriend's shoulder as they danced; it was such a weird scene and yet so wonderful.

"Is this the song you were talking about before? The one that reminded you of me?" Kurt asked just as the chorus began.

_When you came into my life._

_It took my breath away._

_Cause your love has found it's way._

_To my heart._

"It is. I thought you might like to hear it."

Sebastian twirled them around, dipping Kurt and kissing him softly on the lips. That got a giggle out of Kurt, who decided to hold his opinion until he heard more of it, but so far, he was warming up to the tune already. It was hard to focus on the lyrics when Sebastian kept looking at him with big, googly, love-filled eyes (which he was no doubt aware of, and doing on purpose). Kurt pressed the side of his face against Sebastian's neck and sighed deeply. It was such a lovely moment, one Kurt would always treasure, no matter what happened to them.

"Kurt… are you crying?" Sebastian whispered to him.

Kurt blinked back into reality. "What? No! No I'm not…" Except he was: his cheeks were damp, along with Sebastian's neck. When had he started crying? Why was he crying? It made no sense. Or maybe it did. But if Kurt were to think of the reasons why…_ 'Oh lord, I'm turning into an emotional wreck.'_ And there was no stopping it; Kurt was coming undone. He couldn't keep lying to himself. "Sebastian…" Kurt's throat closed around him, robbing him of the ability to speak coherent words.

More sobbing followed; Kurt buried his head into Sebastian's chest as his boyfriend wrapped his arms protectively around him. Although comforting, Sebastian's loving embrace only further triggered Kurt's emotional state. Why was he so fucking weak? Where was the courageous man who had walked the runway at SAIC? This was what he got for trying to pretend as if nothing was going on. Kurt had been so careful. He'd made sure to focus on the fun he was having tonight, and not...

"Come on babe, let's go get some fresh air," Sebastian cooed, urging Kurt to move. But Kurt just shook his head, shuddering as he tried to keep breathing. Sebastian must have realized that Kurt was in no state to argue, because he just smiled as he lead them both through the club and out the main entrance.

Kurt pulled himself out of Sebastian's embrace enough to free his head; the cool night air stung at his damp cheeks. "I'm sorry Sebastian… I dunno what came over me in there."

"Don't apologize," Sebastian said. "And you can stop lying while you're at it too. You know the reason why just as well as I do, Kurt." Unlike Kurt, Sebastian's go-to way of coping with emotion was to laugh at his own stupidity rather than face it. And as Kurt glanced up at him, he saw that this time was no different. Sebastian threw his head back to let out a mocking laugh, shaking his head as he brought it back down to kiss the top of Kurt's head. "It was good while it lasted I guess."

"Yeah," Kurt replied with a small smile. "It was."

Sebastian let go of Kurt and scuffed his foot against the ground and he turned off to look away from him for a moment. He stopped only a few steps away and ran his hands through his hair. It amazed Kurt that someone so full of angst could look so deliciously sexy, but that was Sebastian Smythe for you. Sebastian seemed to be too anxious to keep still, fidgeting and pacing until he eventually shoved his hands into his pockets. Still chuckling, Sebastian swung around and swaggered his way back to Kurt's side; his smug act would have been fool proof, if not for the vulnerability in his eyes.

"We should…" Kurt hesitated; this was even harder than he'd imagined. "We should talk."

Sebastian laughed, "No shit." He glanced around and eyed the large group of people lined up to enter the club. "Let's go somewhere more private first though."

"What about the others?" As much as Kurt knew they needed to do this, he didn't want to worry his friends. But they had already left the club and according to Sebastian, once a person exited a club, they weren't allowed back in.

Sebastian brought out his phone. "I'll text them that we're leaving. I doubt they'll find the news surprising either. Given that it's your birthday and all."

If only they were leaving to go enjoy a passionate night of hot sex. Part of him was tempted to suggest they go do that first, but he knew it would be wrong to. They hadn't earned the right yet, and there was no telling if they'd even want sex once they were finished talking. Kurt didn't want to even consider the possibility, but there was no helping it, the fear that this could very well be their last night together as boyfriends was so overwhelming. The more Kurt thought about it, the harder it was for him to hold himself together.

_'At this rate, I'm not gonna last until we get to Sebastian's apartment.'_ Maybe they shouldn't even go there at all; it might be better for them to talk on more neutral ground. _'But not here.'_

Sebastian, his texting finished, turned back to Kurt and smiled lightly. He wasn't bothering to touch Kurt at the moment and was keeping himself at a respectful distance. His hands went back into his pockets after he put his phone away. "I called the limo to come pick us up."

"Okay," Kurt whispered as he fought back tears.

"Any idea where we should go to talk?"

Kurt shook his head. There were a million places he could think of going actually, he just didn't want any of them to be ruined by the memory of whatever was going to happen next. Of course, there was a good chance that he was dreading the worst for no reason. Sebastian might have good news. Maybe he had decided to stay and his hesitance was because he was afraid Kurt would think that Sebastian had given up on his dream for him. It was an accurate assumption if so, but it wouldn't compare to the guilt Kurt would feel from feeling so happy if he were staying for him.

"I have been meaning to see our city's beautiful riverfront for a while now." Sebastian seemed to be talking both to himself and Kurt, who was keeping silent to ensure he wouldn't start crying again. Luckily for him, Sebastian was a chatty guy who could talk his way through the most awkward situations. "I've actually been thinking on taking you out for a romantic stroll by the river in the Loop, so now's a good as time as any."

The limo came to pick them up ten minutes later and the couple spent the ride to the riverside sitting beside each other in silence. Kurt hated how he couldn't even look Sebastian in the eye, but he didn't want to have a panic attack, and he knew if he had tried to talk to his boyfriend during the trip, he would have for sure. It was hard enough to keep his breathing regular so he could act like he was much better off than how he really felt on the inside.

Sebastian of course was the very picture of stoicism as he sat beside Kurt, was he even blinking at all? His arm was casually draped over the open window of the limo, and the other was resting in between him and Kurt.

"You okay?" Sebastian whispered to him a minute later, brushing his fingers against Kurt's hand.

"No." He couldn't bring himself to lie this time.

"Me either."

Kurt glanced up in wonder at Sebastian just as the limo came to a full stop. It was Sebastian who was the first to move, opening the door up and sliding out so he could hold the door open for his boyfriend. Somehow Kurt managed to force himself out of the vehicle and he hugged his shoulders protectively as Sebastian thanked their driver. Once they were alone, Sebastian took Kurt's hand in his own and held it for a moment as they listened to the soothing sound of the river beside them.

They turned together to gaze at it; the street lights around the edge of the sidewalk were bright enough to illuminate the riverside. The water was calm. Kurt couldn't really see any large waves, just the gentle rocking of the water as it hit the small rocky beach. But what really stood out were the bright building lights out in the distance glittering off the water's reflection. In all of his years of living here, Kurt had never bothered to really take in the sights around him.

"It's beautiful," Kurt whispered. He wondered how much more pretty this place would be at dawn. It made him want to come back with Sebastian to see it, but then he realized he didn't know if that would be possible.

"That it is," Sebastian replied, smiling when Kurt turned to face him. "But even a sight as breathtaking as this doesn't compare to your beauty, Kurt."

Kurt smiled lightly at Sebastian's attempts at flattery, the warmth that spread through his cheeks as he blushed a welcome response. If it were any other night, this would have been the moment Kurt would have reached out to take his arm.

"So... you found my letter to ESMOD," Sebastian said, stating it outright rather than asking for confirmation.

"I did, and I showed it to your dad when Santana and I went to visit him." Kurt didn't bother to ask him why he had thrown it away. There was no need to, because the reason, whatever it was, didn't matter. They didn't need to go through all of the details Kurt realized with relief. It gave him hope that maybe, just maybe, he could get through this without breaking down again.

An awkward silence fell between them; what Kurt would have given to know what was going through Sebastian's head right now. But all it took was for Sebastian to finally turn to look at him to stop wondering, because it was all there on his stunningly exquisite face. His eyes were wide, and his lips were pursed so tightly together his mouth had begun to turn white. Kurt had never seen him so grief stricken before.

"You're going to Paris… aren't you?" Kurt had to look away from him just to get the question out. He didn't need to see Sebastian's face to know the answer; he could feel it already, they both could.

He heard Sebastian sigh heavily in response before he answered, "Yes. It took me a long time to decide, but I'm enrolling at ESMOD. I already have actually, all that's left is just sorting all of the final details out and then it will be official. I have no idea if I'm making the right decision though…"

"You are."

"It's all thanks to you, Kurt."

Kurt choked out an awkward sob that sounded more like a laugh. "I barely did anything… I didn't even have the courage to face you after I-" His words were cut off when Sebastian suddenly pulled him into his arms.

"Neither did I." Sebastian wrapped his arms around his boyfriend's shoulders. "I was too scared to. I didn't want to admit that I was afraid to try… that the fear of failure was too much for me. I kept coming up with all of these stupid excuses not to go to Paris. If it weren't for you, if you weren't in my life, I would have kept lying to myself and just settled." Sebastian swore under his breath. His whole body was shaking; Kurt didn't know what to do, so he just held onto him tightly.

"Wanna come with me, Kurt?" Sebastian whispered. "Paris is a model's paradise; I know you would be amazing there."

Kurt pulled back and cupped Sebastian's chin with his hands. "You know I can't. I have my modelling career here in Chicago… and I don't want to abandon TreeTop design either. I owe Miss Corcoran so much already…" And yet Kurt couldn't deny how much he wanted to throw all of that aside and say yes. "And there's college as well… and… I might not even be in Chicago for much longer anyway." Kurt cracked a small smile when he saw Sebastian reel back in obvious surprise. "There's a college I want to apply for in a year… that's in... um, it's in New York." His arms dropped to his side without him realizing. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you..."

"Don't be. It's the right choice for you Kurt. I knew it was selfish of me to ask you to come with me, I just couldn't stop myself." Now Sebastian was the one to reach for Kurt, holding out his hands for him to grasp. "The fact that you're able to put your career above everything-even me-is one of the many reasons I fell in love with you, Kurt."

"So what happens now? With us I mean?"

Sebastian loosened his grip on Kurt's hands. He didn't want to be the one to break them up, but he would if that's what it would take, because he loved Kurt enough to let him go. Even if it might break his heart-and Kurt's-in the process, this was one time he couldn't chicken out. He'd already screwed up when he'd asked Kurt to go to Paris with him. What the fuck had he been thinking? Sebastian knew the answer of course. He hadn't been thinking at all, he'd been too busy listening to his sorrow-filled heart.

Well that was all about to change. "I'm not gonna lie to you, Kurt: long distance won't work for us. I'd try to keep in touch with you, but knowing how easily I can get wrapped up in my work, I'd probably start neglecting you within a week of my arrival."

The scenario was so clear in Sebastian's head, he could see it unfold in his mind. "At first you'd say that it's okay and that you understand, and then we'd both promise to stay connected no matter what. But our busy schedules would get in the way and we'd start talking less and less: scheduled skyping would fall through, calls would go unanswered, and before long we'd end up resenting each other, Kurt. But we'd both be too stubborn to admit we were in over our head and it would take us reaching the literal breaking point to admit that we needed to break up."

Sebastian felt as if he were actually experiencing what he was describing to Kurt as he spoke, and in his growing annoyance, he let go of Kurt's hands so he could fling his up arms up in the air.

"I can't let that happen to us!" He spat. "Not to us. Just the thought of you coming to hate me… I can't…" He felt his legs begin to buckle underneath him and he scrambled to sit on the nearby bench before they let out completely.

"Sebastian," Kurt breathed as he slowly walked over to the bench. "I could never hate you."

Oh how Sebastian wanted to believe him, but he knew better. "You can't say that for sure." Kurt didn't bother arguing with him this time. "I'm not going to want to come back to Chicago for a long time Kurt, and I might never come back…" He leaned forward on the bench to rest his arms on his knees as he clasped his hands together. "You know what I'm like; once I make my mind up about something it's all or nothing. There's no looking back." Sebastian knew if he were to come back to see Kurt, he wouldn't be able to say goodbye again, he would throw everything aside to be with him. And then Sebastian would be the one to grow so resentful towards Kurt and the bright future he still had ahead of him; he would be the one to come and hate him-and that likelihood scared him most of all.

"Don't we owe it to ourselves to allow each other the chance to reach our full potential?" That sounded so fucking pretentious! Sebastian couldn't bring him to add 'Even if it means that we can't stay together' like he had originally planned.

Kurt stared at him for a moment, and then threw himself down on the bench beside Sebastian with a defeated sigh. "Don't you get tired of being right all of the time?"

"If it helps, I don't even want to be this time. I wish there was another way-"

"When are you planning to leave?" Kurt interrupted, cutting him off.

So much for giving Kurt a moment to process the reality of their situation before continuing.

"My flight's this upcoming Friday." Admitting that to Kurt was the easy part, having to watch his reaction was another matter though, and at first, Sebastian couldn't bring himself to. Not that it mattered, he would have heard Kurt's loud gasp even if he were miles away. He dared a glance and regretted it instantly; Kurt's eyes were as wide as physically possible, and his mouth was practically hitting the floor with utter shock.

"But that's-" Kurt took a deep breath to calm himself down. "But that's so soon! I might not know much about how overseas college applications work, but there has to be at least six to eight weeks before you'd need to go." The confusion on Kurt's stunned fast was so transparent it was painful for Sebastian to keep looking at him.

"I'm not trying to get away from you," Sebastian instantly assured. He had to acknowledge that he was running from his need to remain by his boyfriend's side, but he wasn't running from Kurt himself. There was no way in hell Sebastian was explaining any of this to Kurt though. He could only imagine how fucking horrible that would go.

"Why are you leaving so suddenly then? The start of the semester isn't until the fall." Kurt fidgeted with his hands. "Is it because you're afraid you'll change your mind if you…" For a second Sebastian thought he was going to say 'stay here with me' but at the last possible second he said, "... if you were to stay in Chicago for the rest of the summer."

Sebastian had asked himself that exact same question many times over, most recently when he had bought his one way ticket to Paris three days ago. Even though he'd made his mind up a few days before then, buying the ticket had made his decision not only final, but impossible for him to ignore anymore.

"That's just the way I am, I always look before I leap. Though in this case, my reasons are a little more thought-out than usual. I want some time to adjust to the time difference… and to find myself again." Kurt may not have been his actual muse, but he knew it would be hard to find his lost creativity without him. "I nearly lost my ability to design Kurt, so it's going to take me a while to get it back. I'm going to broaden my horizons and travel all around France to help inspire myself." Having a chance to stand within the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles and see all of its splendid beauty in person was sure to give his creative juices a much needed jump start.

"I'm going to throw my heart into designing as soon as I'm settled in." Maybe before then even, and maybe if he were truly lucky, Sebastian could also begin to mend the void Kurt's absence would undoubtedly leave when they did part ways. "I want to make as many outfits as possible, not because I need to, but because I want to."

"I'm so happy for you," Kurt said, wiping tears from his eyes. "I'm going to miss you like crazy, but I am so happy for you, Sebastian."

"I'll miss you too, Kurt." Sebastian normally would have laid his arm across Kurt's shoulder by now, but he felt like he had lost the right already, and realizing that filled him with sadness. It took everything in him to keep it from showing on his face; sometimes he envied Kurt's ability to express his emotions so easily.

Though Sebastian could tell that Kurt was trying to keep his feelings in check as much as himself right now, it was all painfully obvious for him to see; his trembling hands, tightly clenched jaw, his rigid body posture, but worst of all was having to see the fierceness in Kurt's eyes that only happened when he was fighting back tears.

Sebastian gazed back at the river bank to give them both a much needed moment to recover. '_Fuck!_' Not even swearing was doing it for him anymore. _'How in the world am I supposed to live without him?'_

Unfortunately Sebastian already knew the answer, and he was dreading having to tell Kurt, even after he'd said he wouldn't lie to him. But there was just no other way, Sebastian knew he would have to sever all contact with Kurt once he left for Paris. Which meant no texting one another, no calling to catch up, and even innocent friendly e-mails were out of the question. He hated having to go to such extremes, but Sebastian knew that being just friends wouldn't be a viable option.

He just hoped Kurt would understand eventually, and not hate him for waiting until it was closer to Friday to tell him.

"So… we're seriously breaking up then?" Kurt asked in a soft voice. "Right now?"

"Why are you asking me that?" Sebastian didn't like how Kurt was acting as if it was his idea for them to break up. He was fine to admit that he had been the first one to bring it up, but Kurt knew just as well as he did that it was the right choice, no, the only choice for them!

"I'm asking because I don't think you realize that we're breaking up on my birthday, Sebastian."

Shit. Sebastian hadn't thought of that at all. He was able to think of a valid reason, and even though it felt more like an excuse to him, he still replied, "Waiting until tomorrow didn't feel right anymore."

"I mean I get it, but it just really _really_ sucks," Kurt said with a disheartened sigh.

When Kurt said sucks, a sudden idea rushed into Sebastian's sharp brain, one that could potentially fix their new conundrum, but he would have to choose his words very carefully to get Kurt to agree to them. What Sebastian needed right now was blunt honesty mixed with a little bit of the Smythe charm and maybe, just maybe, they could save Kurt's twentieth birthday from being forever ruined.

"Not necessarily," Sebastian began, making sure not to smile too much; now was not the time to grow too cocky. Kurt eyed him with very obvious suspicion. Yep, this was going to take some work, no doubt about it. "Just hear me out, Kurt." Just to be extra safe, Sebastian flashed him a pleading look and added, "Please."

At first Kurt just stared at him, but then, just when Sebastian thought all was lost, he cracked a tiny smile. "Fine, I'm listening, just, don't drag your words too much out okay? I'm barely hanging on as it is."

"We both agree that we need to break up, but the thing is, I'm not leaving for another four days." Sebastian shifted himself on the bench so he was looking directly at Kurt. "We basically are left with two options here; either we part and go our separate ways tonight and have to spend the next few days avoiding each other…" He grimaced to show his aversion to the first option, topping it off with a violent shudder.

He swore Kurt's smile grew a little.

"What's the second option?"

"We both admit that while we still need to break up, we don't want to say goodbye yet, and want to spend the time we have left together, so we can end things on a more positive note." Sebastian reached out and took Kurt's hands in his. "Or as positive as we can manage, given the circumstances."

Kurt looked down and their entwined hands, but he didn't pull them away. They stared at one another for a moment, and Sebastian grinned at him._ 'Please Kurt, let us have this… don't make me have to give you up yet,'_ Sebastian begged with his solemn eyes. _'I know you want this as badly as I do.'_

"Would option two mean we get to spend the night together?" Kurt asked, and even though he hadn't directly referenced sex, the little glint in his eye made it perfectly clear what he meant.

Heart racing with giddy excitement, Sebastian nodded. "Ideally yes." It was hard for him to keep his euphoria in check; Kurt's playful reply was music to his ears. He still couldn't believe he'd heard it actually, but all the proof he needed was on Kurt's still smiling face. What had he even done to deserve this? "I did promise you a hot night of birthday sex after all, so as long as you're okay with it, I don't see why that couldn't happen still."

In reality, Sebastian could think of a lot of reasons why they shouldn't, he just didn't want to listen to any of them right now. As far as he was concerned, any regrets he had after tonight could wait until Friday. He'd cry his heart out for the entire flight if need be. So whatever the pain, and no matter how selfish he was being to ask Kurt for this, he chose to ignore the consequences and for one last time and just go for it.

Kurt leaned forward, kissing Sebastian on the lips without warning, but the surprise was most welcome. On instinct, Sebastian cupped the bottom of Kurt's face with his hand as their lips touched, savouring the tender moment and burning it to memory.

"Is that a yes then?" Sebastian asked when the kiss was over; it felt so good to resume their usual playful rapport.

"Yes, I'll go home with you tonight, and I'll spend time with you until Friday, but only on one non negotiable condition."

"Name it."

Kurt slipped his hands down to rest on Sebastian's shoulders. "If at any point either of us realizes that they can't take it and has to leave, then the other has to let them go without question."

It took Sebastian's brain less than a second to jump on board with the idea and give Kurt his response, which was a quickly muttered "Agreed" and then to seal the deal, he kissed him. From the moment their lips touched, any lingering doubt was pushed deep down inside of Sebastian. He was not going to feel guilty about this; they had made their choice, and now, instead of spending a sad night alone, they were going to enjoy the physical rewards together.

The way that Kurt fluttered his eyelashes when they stopped for a second sent the butterflies forming in his stomach into a frenzy. Why did they have to be too far away from his apartment to simply walk there? At least no one was around to stumble upon him and Kurt making out on the bench, not that Sebastian would have stopped if there had been. Kurt's mouth was too hot and demanding to even consider cooling down, so he didn't, he kept on kissing Kurt, who kept kissing him right back, and he only bothered to take a quick breather so he could flash Kurt a flirtatious grin.

"Are you mad that I asked you that?" Kurt whispered with a shy smile.

Chuckling, Sebastian asked, "Do I look mad to you, Kurt?" He pecked Kurt on the lips before he had a chance to reply. "I'm actually really glad you had the sense to think of it." His smile deepened. _'And I'm so fucking glad you had the balls to tell me.'_ Just the fact that Kurt had taken the time to consider their well-being touched him beyond comprehension. "Though it goes without saying that I hope neither of us will need it."

"So do I," Kurt breathed in agreement.

Sebastian slumped against the bench and looked up at the night sky. It shouldn't surprise him that he could feel this slightly awkward air between them now. But luckily for them, sex was the best way to keep one's mind off of things, so he quickly brought out his phone and texted Andy to bring the limo around to pick them up.

"Bored of me already, Smythe?" Kurt teased as he pointed to Sebastian's phone.

"I'm securing our ride back to my place if you must know." He watched as Kurt shifted closer to him and leaned over so he could playfully adjust Sebastian's tie.

"Oh," Kurt said with an innocent smile. "Good to know." Once he seemed to be happy with Sebastian's tie, Kurt brought his hands up to clasp the back of his neck. "I wonder how we should spend the wait? Should we talk and catch each other up on our lives? Or should we-"

Kurt never got the chance to finish; Sebastian's lips were quickly on his, silencing him instantly.

As Kurt slowly began to wake, his hands instinctively searched for Sebastian's body, but by the time he opened his eyes, he realized that he wasn't in bed with him. In his sleepy state, Kurt growled in protest and was about to shout at his boyfriend to get his ass back here so they could snuggle, but before he could, Kurt (thankfully) recalled the events on the night of his birthday.

_'Oh right, we broke up,'_ Kurt thought as he sat up on the bed. Except they hadn't, well, not yet anyway. It was Monday morning and he and Sebastian had spent the weekend together in their weird state of relationship limbo. It was a little awkward for them at first, until after they had worn each other out on Saturday night fucking like rabbits. Since then, whenever any tension started to form, Sebastian would say something flirty and the playful banter would soon follow like clockwork.

Kurt smiled lightly; he was so glad he hadn't broken down at any point. He knew it was only a matter of time before the realization really sunk in, and it would surely hurt like a bitch, but that horrible moment hopefully wouldn't come for a while yet. Tomorrow would be business as usual for Kurt despite his change in relationship status. He had jobs on Tuesday, Wednesday, then a meeting with Shelby on Thursday about his big shoot on… Friday.

"Shit," he swore under his breath. Why had it taken Kurt this long to realize that he would probably be working when Sebastian's flight left?_ 'I guess that's what's happens when you spend the weekend having as much sex as physically possible.' _Kurt didn't actually know what time Sebastian's flight was; he hadn't thought to ask, and neither had his soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend.

A quick glance at Sebastian's digital clock on his nightstand told Kurt that it was eleven in the morning, but since they'd both decide to not make any solid plans he was in no rush to get out of bed. Instead, Kurt paused to look around at the room that he had become so familiar with. The signs of Sebastian's impending move had already begun to show; things were far less cluttered and some of his little knick knacks were already gone. The only clothes to be seen where their discarded loungewear from yesterday night.

Kurt sighed; he was going to miss this place. It had become his little oasis, a place he could go and unwind when the pressures of life became too much for him. Delicious smells wafting from the kitchen into the bedroom pulled Kurt away from his depressing thoughts. He sighed dreamily; that explained where Sebastian had gone then, he should have known.

Kurt forced his sore body to get out of bed and he stopped to slip on Sebastian's blue periwinkle robe before he stumbled his way into the bathroom to freshen himself up a bit. Once his bedhead was somewhat controlled and his morning breath tackled, Kurt headed towards the kitchen and quickly found Sebastian, who was standing in front of the oven humming to himself.

"Morning," Kurt said with a yawn.

"Morning, Kurt. I was just about to go rouse you before your breakfast could get cold." Sebastian had already stopped calling him babe (either subconsciously or on purpose, Kurt couldn't tell). Now it was always either Kurt, Hummel, or in one passioned spurned instance during the heat of sex: pretty boy.

The table was made with even more attention to detail than Sebastian usually bothered with; there were actual napkin swans next to both of their plates. A fresh vase of flowers (where had those come from?) was placed in the centre of the table, lilacs, Kurt realized as he smelled their familiar sweetness. But what really got his attention was the rich scent of the piping hot cup of coffee Sebastian had left out for him. Kurt muttered his thanks as he brought the mug up to his lips and took a long drink, grinning dreamily from its rich taste.

"That's the stuff," Kurt said, smiling contently as he sat down at the table.

"Tired there, Kurt?"

Kurt rolled his eyes. "No thanks to you." He hadn't even known he could have that many orgasms in the span of twenty-four hours. He just hoped he wouldn't end up with an obvious limp when he went back to work tomorrow. Though it wouldn't be the first time Sebastian had taken him to bed with that exact intent in mind.

"You're quite welcome," Sebastian replied with a wink as he placed Kurt's bacon and scrambled eggs upon his plate. "And just for the record, you sure dished it right back at me. I don't think I'll be able walk normal for weeks with the way you kept pounding into me last night."

Sebastian waited for the usual snarky comeback, but when Kurt took a bite of his eggs instead, he went back to cooking the rest of their meal. Even though the eggs and bacon were more than enough, Sebastian brought over a towering plate of pancakes and a tray full of more flavours of syrup than Kurt had ever realized existed. Once all the food was transferred to the table, he took his usual seat across from Kurt and tucked in.

"So… New York, huh?"

Kurt looked up from his plate and smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, it turns out there's a college in New York called the 'Fashion Institute of Technology' that has an actual fashion modelling program. Miss Corcoran was the one to tell me about it during a meeting a couple weeks ago. At first the idea of applying there felt rather… daunting, but then it quickly started to grow on me. Miss Corcoran suggested that I wait a year so I could build up my portfolio, and then if I got accepted, I could work from TreeTop's New York branch that will be opening up around the same time."

"It actually makes a lot of sense. You'll be amazing in New York Kurt, even more than you could have been in Paris. New York is an artist's paradise, it screams culture and its gay community puts Chicago's to shame. I can totally see you living there." Sebastian smiled lightly before drinking more of his coffee. "I'm happy for you. It's a good goal."

"If I even get accepted."

Sebastian lowered his mug to reveal his mischievous smirk. "Oh trust me, you will." He popped a piece of bacon into his mouth. "And soon you'll have nothing keeping you from that goal."

Of course Sebastian would have be the kind of guy to say something so blunt and not seem bothered by it in the least. Kurt really should have known, and yet, he couldn't bring himself to resent him for it, because he knew it was just Sebastian's way of coping. He hadn't said anything the least bit offensive to Kurt yesterday either, well, nothing aside from dirty talk, and even then he kept things on the tamer side (for him anyway).

It was time for a change in topic, and Kurt knew exactly what to bring up. "Say…" This breakfast was far too yummy; it was hard for Kurt to stop eating long enough to speak. Or maybe he was just that famished. "I've been meaning to ask you, do any of the others know that you're leaving for Paris on Friday?" He couldn't imagine Sebastian waiting this long to tell them, but as far as Kurt knew, Sebastian hadn't made any phone calls yesterday.

"Not yet," Sebastian answered. "I wanted you to be the first person I told. I'm going to tell them soon though, possibly today-if there's time-or tomorrow at the very latest." He ate a bit more of his meal before continuing. "I think it would probably be best if I tell them on my own."

"Not only do I understand your reasoning, I happen to agree with it." The last thing Sebastian needed was Kurt there to burst out crying before he could get any words out.

"I'll tell them tomorrow afternoon then, if you're willing to let me go for a couple of hours."

"I'll manage somehow," Kurt replied, smiling lightly. Or at least, he hoped he would. Work should keep him somewhat distracted at least. "I should be fine as long as we get to spend dinner together."

Kurt spent the remainder of their meal listening to Sebastian talk about his departure preparations. After speaking with Henri, father and son had decided Sebastian should sell his apartment and use the money from the sale for college and living expenses. It had apparently taken a lot of convincing on Sebastian's part to agree to it, and he only did after requesting that Terri get some of the money as well (in the form of a nest egg). Sebastian went onto explain that he would start packing on Tuesday, starting with deciding what he would take with him.

Once they had finished eating, both he and Sebastian started cleaning up and Kurt volunteered himself for dishwashing duty. He had hoped the task would be a welcome distraction from his thoughts. It ended up working a little too well though, and Kurt was on his third dish when he suddenly remembered something.

"That reminds me. Sebastian, what time's your flight?" Kurt asked.

"Oh, didn't I tell you? It's at 10am." Sebastian took the dish Kurt had just cleaned and began to dry it.

Kurt began vigorously scrubbing the next dish out of the sink. "Of course it is." Grumbling, he kept on scrubbing even though the dish was quite clean by now. "And of course it's when I have a big job with a 7am call!" Up until this point, Kurt had been super excited about the job, which was a two hour drive away in some big fancy photography studio. It was just his luck that he would miss Sebastian's departure because of it.

"Don't beat yourself up about it, and definitely don't rough handle my expensive dishes like that," Sebastian replied, plucking the plate out of Kurt's hands.

"Sorry," Kurt said with a sigh.

Sebastian shrugged, handed Kurt the dryer cloth and then traded spots with him. "It's probably for the best; I'm not one for long goodbyes." Unlike Kurt, Sebastian took his time as he washed the remaining dishes, almost to the point where he was barely moving his hands at all. "If you were there, then I'd probably do something stupid like beg you to run away with me." His little chuckle and head shake should have showed he was kidding around, but Kurt wasn't buying his act for one second.

Denial could only take a person so far after all, and even someone as resilient as Sebastian had his limits, which was most likely the real reason why he was acting as if it was no big deal. It made Kurt wonder if Sebastian had chosen the time of his flight because he knew Kurt had a big job that day. Or perhaps Kurt was just overthinking things per usual and maybe it was just an unlucky coincidence-or a lucky one, depending on how he looked at it.

Either way, it was out of their hands, so Kurt was going to do everything in his power to simply enjoy his last full day with Sebastian. Because they owed it to themselves-as well as to each other-to cherish the time they had left together.

Kurt should have known better than to think he could get through Thursday without breaking down emotionally at some point. Things had started out well enough; Kurt had spent a lovely evening reminiscing with his friends at the studio, and, despite the bittersweet atmosphere, Kurt hadn't shed a single tear. So when Sebastian had offered to drive him home that night, Kurt had instantly accepted.

Any concern that things would grow too awkward for them were quickly tossed out the car window when Sebastian began asking questions about his big job tomorrow. Kurt knew he had grinned like an idiot as he chatted on and on about how excited he was, but he didn't care, he was just happy he could still talk to Sebastian when it was so close to the wire for them.

But unfortunately, Kurt's luck had eventually run out when he'd realized they were nearly at his house. His already fragile heart had had sunk when the realization hit him. Sebastian really was leaving for Paris, he would no longer be in Kurt's life. They were breaking up for real this time, and come tomorrow, Kurt was going to be officially single again. This was the downside to denying everything up until the very last second; he should have accepted the truth a lot sooner so he could have given himself more time to prepare.

Sebastian, who was studying Kurt out of the corner of his eye, unexpectedly pulled over to the side of the road. The engine still running, he turned to face Kurt fully; his eyes were glued on Kurt's sullen face and full of concern. "You doing all right there, Kurt? I can circle the block a few times if you need a moment."

The hint of playfulness in Sebastian's voice made it easier for Kurt to shake his depression off. "No I'm fine," Kurt assured, though he knew the second the words left his mouth that no one would have believed him.

Kurt wanted to bury his head in his hands and let out the most dramatic sigh imaginable. This wasn't what was supposed to happen, he'd been so careful and had thought out every detail. Kurt wouldn't use the word goodbye, he would just wish Sebastian the best of luck when the time came.

"No you're not, Kurt," Sebastian muttered, turning off the engine. "Look, I know we've been emotionally detaching ourselves from one another over these last few days, but I can still tell when something's bothering you, and when you're lying to me."

"Sebastian-" Kurt didn't bother to finish, not with the way Sebastian was glaring at him. "It's not like I want to lie to you…" he began, sighing heavily. "I honestly thought I would be okay with you driving me home. I mean, we've been doing so well." On the surface anyway. "It's just, I've been dreading this moment for the past three days, and now that it's about to happen, I find myself not wanting to face it at all."

Sebastian's posture didn't change after hearing Kurt's heartfelt explanation; his arm was still casually draped over the edge of the car, but there was no usual carefree grin on his face. His jaw tightened for a fleeting second, but it was gone by the time he turned to face Kurt. "You don't have to, Kurt." He placed a gentle hand on Kurt's shoulder. "Not if it's too much for you. I can let you off here and you can go-no questions asked-just like we promised."

_'But what about you? What do you want, Sebastian?'_ How would Sebastian feel if Kurt were to leave him now, and what would he do afterwards? Would he drive away the second Kurt's feet touched the curb, or would he remain parked until he was fully out of sight?

Kurt's fingers clutched the car door handle as he considered his options, though in reality he wasn't really paying attention to his thoughts much at all. It wasn't until he had opened the door to the convertible that Kurt realized what he was doing.

"No," Kurt said, more to himself than to Sebastian, who hadn't spoken a word since he'd given Kurt the option to go off on his own. "I want you to drive me home." He closed the door and turned to smile at Sebastian. "We've gotten this far, so I'd like to see it through Sebastian, that is, as long as you feel the same way."

Sebastian starting the engine up again seemed to be his answer, which suited Kurt just fine, and with that, they were off again. As if Sebastian expected Kurt to change his mind at any second, Sebastian drove at an exceptionally slow pace. Kurt did his best to simply ignore the fact-and Sebastian's little smug glances every now and then. Thank goodness it was late enough in the evening that there weren't any other cars on the road, because Lord knew what it would take to get him to speed up.

"Here we are, home sweet Hummel home," Sebastian announced, eight painfully drawn out minutes later.

This time there was no hesitation when Kurt went for the passenger door, but right before his fingers could touch it, he heard the click of the lock. Surprised by the sudden move, Kurt whirled his head around to look at Sebastian for an explanation, and any concerns Kurt had about his motives were suddenly dropped the second he saw Sebastian's playful smile.

_'That little fucker!'_ Kurt hissed under his breath. Trust Sebastian Smythe to give him one last little fright. The reason that Kurt wasn't actually pissed at him was because it should have been painfully obvious he was just messing around.

"Relax, Kurt," Sebastian soothed, as if his little prank wasn't anything huge (which it wasn't, Kurt was just jumpy by nature), unlocking the driver side door so he could open it. "I'm not planning to kidnap you or anything, I just want to open the door for you."

Kurt rolled his eyes as the tension in his rigid body began to loosen. "Always the gentleman, huh?"

"You know it," Sebastian replied with a wink.

Totally hamming it up complete with charismatic grin, Sebastian unlocked Kurt's door, swung it open and gracefully bowed as he said, "Après vous, Monsieur Hummel." Kurt had never heard Sebastian speak French before; his accent was spot on, so much that Kurt could have sworn it was his natural tongue.

Kurt batted his eyelashes at Sebastian before accepting his offered hand. "Merci." He took it as good sign when Sebastian didn't comment on his own attempts at the language as he helped Kurt out of the vehicle. "Will you walk me to my door, kind sir?"

Sebastian, who was still holding onto Kurt's hand, came to a sudden halt, but before Kurt could ask him what was wrong, he led them both over to the driver's side of his convertible. "In a minute," he murmured softly with surprising vulnerability in his voice. Sebastian leaned back against the closed driver door and cupped the side of Kurt's face with his hand. "Just as soon as I finish drinking in the splendour of your beauty."

"Oh, I uh," Kurt's heart was pounding in his chest and it was all thanks to Sebastian and those dangerously mesmerizing green eyes of his. "Okay."

At first Kurt just stood there as Sebastian carefully studied every inch of his face, but his hands eventually found their way to the side of Sebastian's hips. The only sound Kurt could hear was his own loud breathing from his attempts to get his racing heart under control.

"Sebastian."

"Hmm?" Sebastian's hands gravitated down to Kurt's neck in a teasing caress; his face was mere inches away from Kurt's now.

Fuck Kurt wanted to kiss him! Sebastian had to be aware of the building sexual tension between them. Was he trying to bring Kurt to his very breaking point in the hopes that he would succumb to his desires and just go for it? Well then, if that was Sebastian's game then Kurt knew exactly how to get the better of him.

"How long is this going to take?"

Sebastian chuckled, but he didn't remove his hands. "Is it my fault that I find you so stunningly divine? Every time I think I've had my fill of you, you move your head a little, or smile at me and then I find myself falling under your spell all over again." He inched his head closer to Kurt, who closed his eyes in anticipation, and kissed him.

The familiar sensation of Sebastian's lips against his own easily overpowered Kurt's common sense, and instead of pushing him away, he slipped his arms around Sebastian's waist. Kurt knew this was crazy and yet he couldn't bring himself to put an end to it.

'_Fuck I've missed this so much!'_

Kurt mind was a mess of emotions, his body was on fire and screaming for more, which Sebastian seemed only too happy to give. It wasn't long before their teasing little kisses escalated to something far more hot and urgent. When Sebastian opened Kurt's mouth with his own, he instantly responded and dished it right back. Kurt's only saving grace was the fact that they were keeping their bodies still and their hands from exploring.

The last time they had kissed had been right before Kurt had left Sebastian's apartment on Tuesday morning to head to work, and up until this point, he had figured that would be their last kiss. Since then Sebastian hadn't initiated any real physical contact between them, and Kurt, who knew it was for the best, had followed his lead without any sort of protest.

But he should have known better than to think he could quit cold turkey just like that. Although, as far as relapses went, making out in the middle of his driveway wasn't _that_ bad. So Kurt didn't think about what could go wrong, or what kind of show they were putting on for the neighbours. Not even the thought of Burt peering through the window to see his son lip locked with the boy he was supposed to be breaking up with wasn't enough to make Kurt come to his senses.

Sebastian was the first to pull his head away to let out a deep breath. "Okay, that should hold me for a while." He placed his hands on Kurt's shoulders and grinned at him, playful and slightly coy, as if he were taking a moment to re-collect himself (which he probably was).

Kurt smiled, nuzzling his face against the side side of Sebastian's neck. "Same."

"I guess I should let you go soon though, since you do do have a big shoot for Saint Laurent first thing tomorrow morning." Sebastian let his hands slide down Kurt's neck and shoulders until they were no longer touching him.

"And let's not forget your own flight at ten. Have you even finished packing yet?"

"More or less. I'm not taking much with me." Sebastian shrugged. "A couple of my best suits, a few small mementos, my best designing supplies, stuff like that. If all goes to plan, I should be able to fit everything into two reasonably sized suitcases by tonight."

In Kurt's mind, he had been picturing Sebastian travelling with a fleet of servants to carrying his wardrobe. It made total sense that Sebastian wouldn't want too much weighing himself down as he set off for his exciting new life in an entirely different country. Kurt's smile fell a little when he thought about the fate of the clothes he wouldn't be bringing along. Would he put them in storage never to be worn again, or would he do the unthinkable and sell them?

Sebastian pushed himself away from his car and came to stand in front of Kurt with his arms held out. "Whattaya say Kurt, one last hug for old times sake?"

"Of course," Kurt said, walking into his embrace without any hesitance. He counted the seconds as he held onto Sebastian, breathing in sharply when Sebastian pulled back to kiss him on the cheek.

"Goodnight, Kurt Hummel," Sebastian whispered with a smile.

Kurt choked back tears; he loved that Sebastian had said goodnight and not goodbye to him. There was no need for empty promises that they would find each other again one day. Neither of them knew what the future would hold.

"Goodnight, Sebastian Smythe," Kurt said as he gave Sebastian one last lingering gaze. The pull he felt whenever Sebastian was near began to wash over Kurt, so he turned his back to him. No longer in Sebastian's view, Kurt let out the tears that had been threatening to fall, sniffling as he forced himself towards his front door. _'I'll never forget you.'_

Sebastian was on his way back from checking his two suitcases into the baggage claim; he had only one small carry on with him now to amuse himself with during his long flight. Everything had gone exactly to plan this morning; he'd arose at the correct hour, eaten a quick breakfast, and was all ready to go when the his dad's car had come to pick him up. Even though Sebastian loved to do things at the spur of the moment, he appreciated not having to hectically rush around just as much. In this case, the payoff of all of his careful preplanning was that he had plenty of time to say his goodbyes to the three people who had come to see him off.

If it had been his call, Sebastian would have preferred to make a quiet exit without any sort of fuss, and while he'd somehow convinced Terri not to be there, Unique, Sugar and Puck had all refused to take no for an answer.

Dressed in a designer polo shirt and khaki pants ensemble, Sebastian casually strolled over to their designated meeting area. His eyes quickly fell on his three friends who were waiting there for him.

"Well my dear beloved children, the moment for me to bid a fond adieu is upon us," Sebastian said, adding extra flourish in his voice. He bent down in a deep bow, taking off his fedora and tipping it towards his comrades before he stopped inches in front of them. "It goes without saying that I shall miss you all a great deal." He paused for dramatic effect before he turned off Fancy Words Sebastian and reverted to his usual smug smirking self. "So try to keep that in mind if I don't return your calls right away, all right?"

Unique narrowed her eyes at Sebastian with her arms crossed over her chest. "Just as long as you keep in mind that ignoring Unique never bodes well for anyone." She poked Sebastian's chest with her perfectly manicured fingernail. "And that includes you, Sebastian-Paris bound or not-so you'd best keep in touch."

"Try not to hate me too much if I don't though." Sebastian wasn't one for giving false promises to people he genuinely liked. He'd much rather speak the truth, and then surprise people if he did pull through in the end. In this case Sebastian couldn't say which would happen; he wanted to keep in touch of his friends, but he knew as soon as he went into designer mode, everything else would be low priority.

"Like that would ever happen," Sugar retorted, demanding a hug from him. "I don't think I could ever hate you, Sebby."

"Give it time." Sebastian wrapped his arms around her shoulders. Once Sugar and Sebastian finished hugging it out, Unique stepped up to claim him next and he happily obliged. That only left Puck, who so far hadn't moved from his spot a few steps away. Sebastian turned to face him after he finished his hug with Unique with arms extended. "You know you're gonna miss me when I'm gone, Noah."

"In your dreams, Smythe." Puck's stone face melted away as he pulled Sebastian into a fierce bear hug. Laughing in surprised delight, Sebastian patted Puck's broad shoulders before hugging him back with equal fierceness.

"Bros for life," Sebastian whispered into Puck's ear, and he really meant it. Puck was the only close straight male friend he had, but it was more than that, he was one of the few guys-and the only one he hadn't been romantically or sexually linked to-who truly seemed to understand how Sebastian's mind operated.

Sebastian couldn't wait to show Puck around Paris one day, because he knew Sugar would be begging her boyfriend to go visit him in a matter of months. He would never admit it to anyone, but Sebastian felt eternally grateful to have friends who were so bent on keeping him in their lives.

"Well, I guess there's just one more thing for me to do before I head off." He bent down to unzip a pocket on his carry on bag before rising again. The plain, brown, page-sized envelope in his hand didn't look the least bit exciting. Sebastian had been tempted to cover it in fancy gift wrap paper, but that had seemed a bit excessive even for him.

Sebastian held the envelope in front Puck, who at first just eyed it suspiciously but then eventually took it.

"Lemme guess, there are three signed headshots of you inside?" Puck asked with a mocking grin.

"Good guess." If only Sebastian had thought to include that as a red herring. Oh well, the big reveal would be just as good without it. "But why don't you take a look inside and find out for yourself, Noah."

Puck stared at the envelope in his hands with furrowed brows for barely a second before Sugar urged him to open it up. Tearing the flap open, Puck pulled out the inside contents, which was an inconspicuous looking sheet of paper.

Puck narrowed his eyes and began to read the professional font.

_'Here it comes.'_ Sebastian held his breath in anticipation of the big moment, and sure enough, it came a minute later.

Eyes widening, Puck shouted, "Holy shit!" Which caused a number of people to stare (and/or glare) at him. Puck blushed beet red and muttered 'sorry' before turning his attention back to Sebastian, who was barely holding himself together. "You little-" Puck somehow stopped himself from swearing again. "I can't believe you-"

"What? What is it?" Sugar interrupted as she grabbed the paper out of her boyfriend's hands.

"It's the deed to the Atelier. I couldn't stand the thought of it being sold to some faceless stranger, so I'm trusting it to the three of you. It just makes sense to me, and this way you'll always have a safe haven to go to if you need it." Sebastian answered. "The utilities are paid up for the year, but the expenses won't be too bad split three ways."

As usual, each of his friends had a different reaction to the news: Sugar had her hands over her mouth and her eyes were welled up with tears; Puck was staring at Sebastian with shocked disbelief, but he was still smiling; and Unique, whose mouth had been hanging open, closed it to shake her head at him, smiling all the while. Man he was really going to miss shocking them on a regular basis like this.

"You're welcome to do more with the Atelier if you want; it would make a pretty swanky bar. But just so you're aware, there's a clause in the contract that states you can't sell it without my consent. Not that I think you guys would, but who knows what life will be like for any us in a few years."

Sugar suddenly flung herself into Sebastian's arms, and both Unique and Puck were close on her heels as they shared a big group hug. Engulfed on all sides, Sebastian chuckled at how ridiculous his friends were acting, yet on the inside he happily soaked up the attention. Who would have thought that he would form such deep friendships with three people who were so different from each other-and from himself. Sebastian wasn't worried that they wouldn't be able to go on without him; each of them had their own bright lives to strive for.

"You guys are a bunch of saps," Sebastian teased when the hug was over.

"You know you love us, Sebby," replied Sugar, who winked at him.

Sebastian smiled. "That I do." There was no one else in Sebastian's life-other than Kurt, but he was off strictly topic-who he would miss as much as the three people in front of him. It amazed him how much Sebastian had come to enjoy their company over the past ten months.

The alarm on his phone went off, stopping his warm thoughts, and he let out a dramatic sigh.

"I'm afraid our time is up; I need to go board the plane." He picked up his carry on bag and slung the strap over his shoulder. The fact that he would sincerely miss his friends didn't mean he was going to become overly sentimental. So instead of succumbing to his emotions and offering a tearful goodbye, Sebastian saluted them and said, "Au revoir, mes amis! " Then he spun around, gave one final wave when his back was still turned, and and headed off towards the boarding area.

So long Chicago, so long life of comfort and familiarity! A brand new chapter of Sebastian's life was about to begin, and even though it would be a solo one, he wasn't going to run from it, he was going to chase after it-for as long as it took-because his dreams would be worth the struggles-and because he was fucking Sebastian Smythe!

Sugar waited until Sebastian was completely gone from view before she turned away to mutter, "I can't believe he's really leaving!"

"What? Were you expecting Kurt to run up at the last possible second and beg him not to go or something?" Puck asked.

"Yes! Or that Kurt would go off with him." Sugar leaned onto Puck's shoulder for moral support. "I can't believe they're breaking up forever! They're so perfect for each other, and they made each other so happy! After all they've been through. How could they say goodbye to each other?"

"It's not like they wanted to hon, but sometimes loving someone means you have to let them go," Unique said.

Sugar sighed, "I know… but it really feels like this is the end for them."

Puck, who had been staring off in the direction Sebastian had disappeared in, finally turned to smile at Sugar and hugged her waist. "I dunno about that, sure, it might feel like those two are done with each other right now..." His smile grew, and turned into something almost dreamy, as if he were watching a touching scene from a romantic film. "But I don't think their story's over quite yet."

"How can you be so sure?" Sugar questioned; the hesitance in her voice showed her skepticism.

Puck shrugged. "It's a pretty simple deduction from my point of view. After spending the past four months watching those two guys fall head over heels for each other-and given my own experiences-I think I know true love when I see it. Their lives might have taken different paths, and yeah, all of the signs so far-like the fact that Seb didn't include Kurt in the studio deed, how he refused to even mention him just now, and how they've been ignoring the fact that they needed to break up right until the last second-point towards them not getting back together. But there's one little detail that you should consider before you go and give up all hope, baby."

"I sure hope you're going to tell us what it is Noah, because I'm in no mood to guess. " Unique asked before Sugar could.

"I can do better than that Unique. Here, let me show you both. I already have the evidence prepared just in this case actually." Puck brought out his phone and held it in Sugar and Unique. "See the evidence for yourselves, ladies. I think you'll both agree that their it's pretty substantial."

There on the screen was a candid photo of Kurt and Sebastian, who were totally off in their own little world. Kurt's state of dress (in the show piece suit) and the scenery around them (backstage at the SAIC showroom) dated the photo from the day of the big fashion show. The couple were locked in each other's arms with their faces inches away as they gazed lovingly at each other.

Grinning with pride, Puck turned the phone tapped on the image to zoom in on Kurt and Sebastian's enamored faces. "They might not realize it yet, but mark my words, those two are totally end-game."

Even though as of 10:00am today, Sebastian was no longer part of his world, Kurt told himself that his days would still be busy, there would still be people in his life who cared about him, and most importantly, that he wouldn't have to stay alone ever again. But Sebastian's gaping absence was so fresh in his heart he knew it would be a long time before he could begin to recover from it.

Kurt had checked his phone during his lunch break and saw he had gotten a text from Sugar telling him that Sebastian's flight had left on time and he was safely on his way to Paris. After that, Kurt had forced all thoughts of his ex-boyfriend out of his mind until he was back home late in the evening.

Exhausted, both emotionally and physically, Kurt had stumbled out of his escort vehicle as if he were in some sort of trance. At least the job had gone encouragingly well. Kurt had been the very picture of professionalism as he put on pair after pair of skinny jeans and had posed in front of the camera for hours on end.

Kurt was glad to feel so worn out though; it gave him hope that he could fall asleep tonight in spite of his aching heart. He opened the door and stepped inside the house with a loud yawn, only to come face to face with his mother, who seemed to have been waiting up for him.

"Welcome back, honey." Margaret had started using terms of affection like that lately and Kurt surprisingly didn't mind it so much. But that still didn't mean he was in the mood to deal with her at the moment. "How did your shoot go today?"

Kurt appreciated that she wasn't asking him how he was feeling; he'd told her and Burt how he and Sebastian were breaking up because Sebastian was leaving for France a few days ago. Mainly because he didn't want them to worry if they noticed any difference in him, which he knew was quite likely.

"It went well; Miss Corcoran's already called to tell me how happy the company was with my work today. She's pretty confident that they'll ask to sign a longer contract with TreeTop so they can use me for future ads, but I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much."

Margaret made a scoffing noise. "Is that any way for an aspiring supermodel to act? Where is your passion, Kurt? You'll never make it big with such a subdued attitude."

_'Supermodel?'_ Kurt thought with tired amusement; when had she started caring so much about his career? Wasn't it just a month and ago when Margaret had been severely doubting Kurt having any type of future in modeling? Kurt supposed he should count his blessings and be happy that she was on board at all. "Trust me Mom, I'm going to do everything in my power to make a name for myself." He hoped his look of determination would make up for the lack of enthusiasm in his voice.

Her stern expression melted into a warm smile. "That's the spirit." Margaret laid her hands on Kurt's shoulders for a moment. "Would you like me to make you anything to eat?"

Kurt shook his head. "Thank you, but I think I'll just go to bed early tonight. I'm exhausted."

"Have a good night then," Margaret said, letting him go, but just as Kurt made it to the stairway, she added, "Oh, a package came for you while you were out today. I left it in your room."

Kurt frowned; he wasn't expecting a package, so what could it be? As much as Kurt was curious, he took his time climbing the stairs to his room. It was probably nothing to get excited about. It was most likely something Shelby had sent him about FIT-or work related. When he stepped into his bedroom Kurt quickly found the mystery package on his computer desk. It was a box, and not a very large one, which gave no clues whatsoever for what it could be.

Kurt's heart skipped a beat when he read the sender's name. "It's from Sebastian." There was no return address, just his first and last name. At first Kurt was afraid to open it; what if it was a touching letter goodbye that would render Kurt into a sobbing mess? Or worse, what if Sebastian had sent him any belongings Kurt might have forgotten at his apartment.

"I'm being stupid," Kurt muttered, forcing himself to open up the box.

Inside the package was a box made of wood with a beautiful butterfly painted in purple on top of the lid. Kurt lifted it up to study it from every angle; it appeared to be a jewelry box of some kind. He shook it gently and heard something small rattle inside. What could it be? Kurt placed the box down on the desk in front of him and opened the metal clasp to see what Sebastian had left him.

"What in the-" Kurt furrowed his brows in confusion. "A key?" He picked it up and saw the four digit number on the tag connected to it. This didn't make any sense! Kurt couldn't think of what the key could be for. Sebastian had sold his apartment and he'd learned from Sugar that he'd left the studio to her, Unique and Puck, so what in the world was he up to?

Kurt looked back inside the box for any other clues and he quickly found one, in the form of a business card with the word Smythe on it. That wasn't much to go on sadly. Hopefully the other side would fair better. Kurt turned the card over to discover what had to be a map.

That was all Kurt needed to snap into action, with the card and key in his right hand, he grabbed his jacket with the left and raced down the stairs. Newfound energy surged through Kurt's once tired body and he barely stopped long enough at the front door to shout to his mom that he was going out.

"I really need to get my license!" Kurt grumbled as he hurried off to the nearest bus stop.

Using his phone's GPS system to decipher Sebastian's cryptic map, Kurt made it to his destination fifteen anxious minutes later. The map ended up bringing him to a warehouse that housed large storage units for rent. Kurt, who had ran all the way from the bus stop, was out of breath and had to stop to catch it before he could venture further. But he eventually was able to seek out the same lot number on the key Sebastian had sent him.

Kurt stood in front of the large metal door with nervous anticipation; frozen in place from the fear that whatever lay on the other side wouldn't live up to his wild expectations. He was pretty confident he knew what he would find when he finally managed to open the door. It would be so like Sebastian to leave Kurt the showpiece suit without any inkling (or warning).

He braced himself as he undid the lock, pushing up the door next, and what he found inside rendered him utterly speechless. It was all there, every single outfit Sebastian had ever made with his own two hands; he had given it all to Kurt. Each outfit was laid out as if they were still in Sebastian closet; the only pieces missing were his store bought items, save for one shirt that was displayed on a dress form beside the show piece suit, which was Kurt's favourite botanical shirt from Paul Smith.

Tears streamed down Kurt's face, but he let them fall as he scanned the room full of the many wonderful gifts Sebastian had given him. All of a sudden Kurt's legs went out from under him and he crumbled to the floor in an emotional heap, crying his heart out until his throat became raspy. It took him a while to recover enough to stop sobbing and sit up.

Little by little, Kurt picked himself back up, and once he found his feet again he slowly began to walk around the room. Not only had Sebastian given him all of his personal pieces, he'd included everything piece of menswear Paradis Bise had made as a group as well. On closer inspection, Kurt discovered Sebastian had included the flapper dress he'd unsuccessfully tried to get Kurt to wear too. Kurt chuckled at the sight of it, but left it hanging on the rack. He stopped in front of the showpiece suit so he could admire it with a loving smile. Unlike the Paul Smith shirt which was on a simple dress form, the showpiece suit was on a mannequin, and all of the accessories were there, including the smaller butterfly beaded ring Kurt had intentionally left at Sebastian's apartment on Tuesday.

Kurt slipped it off of the mannequin's ring finger to put it on his own. "You had to have this one last victory didn't you?" he asked aloud.

Something in the mannequin's left hand suddenly caught Kurt's attention. "What have you done now…" It was an unmarked white envelope. Shaking his head, Kurt quickly opened it; written on the card in stylish purple lettering were three little words that instantly brought a warm smile to Kurt's face.

_Use them well. _

Kurt laughed in tearful delight. "Thank you, Sebastian." It didn't matter if he wasn't there to hear him. "For all that you've done for me, and will continue to do for me…" He reached out to touch the shoulder of the showpiece jacket with a loving smile. He knew he could spend the rest of his life trying to repay Sebastian and it still wouldn't be enough. So he wouldn't even bother to try, he would just live his life to the fullest, fabulously dressed and with his head held high.

Because he was worth it.

Kurt carefully took the jacket off of the mannequin and put it on, hugging the front of his body with his arms. "And whenever I wear one of the outfits in this room... I'll remember you, Sebastian Smythe, the amazing man who brought me out of the darkness and showed me the path to Paradise."


	24. Chapter 24

Notes:

It's hard to believe that I'm finally at the last chapter of this story. It's been a joy to write. I need to take a moment to apologize how long it took to post. So a big thanks to all the readers who stuck by in spite of it. :) I'm definitely going to do things different with my next story. And yet however demanding writing this story became, it was still a complete labour of love for me.

Big thanks goes to my amazing beta gingerfic, who kept by be from start to end over this past year and a bit. I wouldn't have been able to do it without you! I've learned so much about writing from working with you! Words cannot express how much appreciate her help with this story.

Epilogue

~ June 2023 ~ Chicago ~

Kurt Hummel might be eight years older, but as he examined his finely dressed form in the mirror, he was happy to confirm he looked just as good in his butterfly motif suit as he had when he'd first worn it.

"Not too bad for pushing thirty," Kurt said to himself with a satisfied grin. Yes indeed, his twenty-eight-year-old ass was as firm as ever. He was also happy to see that his suit was holding up just as nicely. Kurt usually saved wearing his most prized ensemble for special days like today.

Walking down the stairs, Kurt whistled merrily to himself. The past eight years had been quite the whirlwind; he'd lived and worked in so many different cities and-as his modelling career had begun to take off-foreign countries as well. He owed much of his success to Shelby (he'd stopped calling her Miss Corcoran six years ago at her insistence), whose advice to wait a year before applying to FIT had been spot on. His application had been accepted and a few months later Kurt had found himself living in New York. The next four years had been split between college and working for TreeTop's newly launched New York branch. It had been difficult for Kurt to balance at first, and he'd pushed himself to the brink of exhaustion more than once. But Kurt had no real regrets, and it was the same for what had happened after graduation.

As much as Kurt had aimed for the top, he'd never imagined he would be offered a one year modelling contract with Hugo Boss fresh out of college. From there on-and with the help of his agent-Kurt had landed many modelling jobs and had attended countless press events and social appearances.

When his parents had learned he was coming to Chicago to visit, they had begged him to stay with them rather than a hotel (He hadn't bothered to buy a place in the city with how little he was able to come back), and Kurt didn't have any reason-or the heart, to turn them down.

Burt, who had been reading a book, looked up just as Kurt had stepped into the living room. "Hey, kiddo." Burt's joy in calling his son childish terms of endearment seemed to increase with every new year. "Looking pretty snappy there."

Smiling, Kurt couldn't resist twirling around to really show his suit off. "Thanks, Dad."

"Want me to drive you?"

Kurt shook his head. "No, it's all right. I rented a car for while I'm here." It had taken Kurt five years to do it, but after living three months in LA for a long-term job, he'd finally gotten around to getting his driver's license. The irony of things was how Kurt's life was often too crazy busy for him to be able to drive for himself. Either because he couldn't legally drive in the country he was in, or he had been given a hired driver for convenience, or in the case of New York, he had been too terrified to drive.

Margaret entered the living room and stopped when she caught sight of Kurt. Like her son, the past eight years had been kind to her. Kurt barely noticed any difference in her actually, and he told her the fact as often as possible.

"Oh, Kurt, you look as youthfully handsome as you did eight years ago." She gave him a quick hug and stepped back to look at him. "But are you really going to wear the same suit as you did last year?" Her tone was more teasing than judgemental, which explained her knowing smile that only mothers seemed to be able to do.

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Yes Mom, I am." He made sure to match her playful tone. "Wearing this suit tonight is practically tradition, so as far as I'm concerned, I'm gonna let myself wear it for my birthday year after year."

"Even though your old ex-boyfriend made it for you?" Burt asked.

This was one argument Kurt knew he wouldn't be able to win-at least not without showing up late to his own birthday party.

"Okay I'm going now," he chimed, shaking his head at his still grinning parents as he went. Neither Burt nor Margaret made any addition comments during Kurt's walk over to the front door, but Kurt just knew they were smirking at him, and sure enough, when he turned back around his hunch was proved correct. Kurt couldn't blame them though; he had given his parents so few chances to tease him.

"Don't wait up for me," Kurt said with a quick wave as he stepped out the door.

Kurt was really looking forward to tonight. As much as Kurt tried to keep his birthday free, he'd ended up not being able to make it back to Chicago last year. His friends-like they always did-assured him it was all right and they'd given him just as much of a warm welcome when he arrived five weeks later, but it wasn't the same-at least for Kurt. But six out of eight birthdays wasn't so bad, and it wasn't like anyone else had perfect attendance records either.

After parking his vehicle, Kurt started down the familiar street that lead to the studio; the buildings around it had changed over the years, giving it more exposure, which, as it turned out, had played perfectly into its owners' plans.

When Kurt reached the stairs, he came to a stop, not because of any anxiety, but because of the chain strung across it. A sign that read 'Closed' was hanging from the middle of the chain. But instead of turning away, Kurt just lifted the chain up high enough so he could casually slip under it. Rules didn't apply to Kurt Hummel, or at least, never here and especially not tonight.

The butterflies on the sides of the walls leading down the stairs were still there, and Kurt paused to outline one with his finger. A warm smile spread across his face as he resumed his descent, making it all the way to the door without getting lost down memory lane. This was one event Kurt didn't want to be late for.

Kurt's eyes looked up at the beautifully crafted metal frame sign on the door; it wasn't the original 'Paradis' one from eight years ago. This new one was much more ornate and had the words 'Pretty in Paradise' written on it. There was another sign on the door to the left that was turn over to show the words 'Closed.'

_'I wonder if they left the door open,'_ Kurt thought. He had plenty of options; he could use the key he had been given years ago, he could call up his friends whom were surely inside, or he could go the old fashioned route and simply knock.

Kurt had barely finished knocking before the door suddenly swung open to reveal a scowling Noah Puckerman. "Look, I'm glad you like the place, but read the sign; it says we're _closed_-" Puck's eyes widened when he finally realized who was grinning at the door. "Kurt!" Beaming, he pulled the birthday boy in for a fierce hug. "It's good to see you! It's been way too long, bro!" They hugged it out for a few more seconds before Puck stepped back to give Kurt a good look over. "Damn, Hummel! Have you even aged at all?" He exclaimed, punching Kurt lightly on the shoulder.

Rubbing his arm in pretend hurt, Kurt rolled his eyes. "Like you can talk!"

Aside from his lack of mohawk, Kurt didn't see much much difference in twenty-eight-year-old Noah Puckerman. His clothes were still his signature ruggedly handsome with the hint of punk. In this case, Puck was wearing a charcoal t-shirt that had a stylised image on the front (of his own design) that went very well with his black jeans. Since it was a special occasion, Puck had dressed both pieces with a navy wool blazer that was slightly faded at the edges, giving it a vintage look.

Puck threw his arm over Kurt's shoulder and lead him fully inside, closing the door behind them before any uninvited guests could sneak in. "Couldn't resist wearing that suit again huh?"

"What else would I wear on my birthday?" Kurt asked, grinning.

The inside of the studio had changed over the years, but it still held much of its original charm. The pool table was still there, and the bar area was basically the same (save for the liquor no longer being tucked away), but the large work tables had been replaced with smaller ones that could fit up to three chairs. Kurt's favourite addition was the assigned dance area on the far right that even had its own piano and tiny stage.

It was hard to believe that it had been four years since Unique, Puck and Sugar had decided to turn the studio into a full fledged night lounge style bar. Six months later 'Pretty in Paradise' had officially opened and was received with great success. It wasn't surprising to Kurt, who knew how much time, hard work, effort and love had been put into the establishment by his three friends.

Open five nights a week for a mere seven hours a night, Pretty in Paradise had quickly become one of the hottest places for Chicago's creative youth to go for a good drink, and-if they were especially fortunate-be serenaded by the amazing vocal talents of Madame Unique Lynn.

But right now the bar was closed to the public for Kurt's birthday party, and he for one couldn't wait for the festivities to begin.

"Is that the voice of my sweet angel boy I hear?" a voice called from behind.

Kurt instantly whirled around to see Unique, who was dressed to the nines in a purple lace cocktail dress, heading straight for him with arms outstretched.

"The one and only!" Grinning, Kurt rushed over to give her a big hug hello, which she dished right back. "It's so good to see you!" Seven months was far too long of a time between seeing Unique in person. They'd barely been able to scratch the surface of what was going on in their busy lives during their last phone call. Which made Kurt very glad that he had taken the summer off to so he could spend time with his favourite people in Chicago.

But for some reason, one of the people Kurt was most looking forward to seeing wasn't around, so he turned to Puck and asked, "Say, where's Sugar?" He scanned the room with his eyes and found no trace of her. "She's usually the first one to greet me."

Puck's carefree grin didn't show any signs of concern. "Last I knew she was in the bathroom with-"

"Mommy, look! Uncle Angel's here!" A young girl with dark brown hair squealed, drowning out Puck's words. Sugar emerged from the bathroom next, but not in time to stop the exuberant youth from bolting at full speed ahead.

Laughing, Kurt held out his arms just as she leapt into them for a tackling hug. "Is that you, Erica?" He swung her around in her arms until she giggled with delight. "Look how much you've grown." It was a total cliche, but Kurt couldn't get over how big she was now! It was hard to believe that Erica was turning five soon.

Puck's plan to wait until graduation to ask Sugar to marry him had hit a bump in the road when during the summer after their junior year, she learned she would be getting a _bump_ of her very own in due time. But even though the pregnancy had been unexpected, Puck and Sugar-once they got over the initial shock-had been delighted at the news and had decided to elope that weekend. Sugar had delivered a healthy baby girl a month after their graduation ceremony, and since her birth Erica Puckerman had become the apple of her parents eyes.

Erica spun around in a circle, her hot pink crinoline skirt swirling around her from the movement. She had her mother's smile and bright brown eyes, but aside from that, she was almost the spitting image of her father. Kurt lifted her up into his arms and kissed her on the nose. "Gosh you look more like and more like your daddy every time I see you, Erica," he said, winking at Puck.

"Daddy says I'm his little punk princess," Erica announced with a proud smile.

The outfit certainly fit the description. Her leopard pink top added a bit of her mom's style as well and worked well with the hot pink crinoline skirt. The punk park was represented with her chunky black boots, and Kurt noticed the black leather jacket Sugar was holding onto. While her dark brown hair was tied in a side ponytail with a hot pink bow that had a little skull ornament.

"You sure are." Kurt hadn't really held much of an opinion about children before Erica had been born, and while the idea of parenthood still terrified him, he had quickly grown to love love being an honorary uncle to an incredible, adorable girl.

"Happy birthday, Uncle Angel," Erica said, hugging him by the neck as she kissed him on the cheek. Even after she had learned that Uncle Angel's name was actually Kurt, she had insisted to keep calling him that, and Kurt honestly didn't mind (especially since Sugar still called him Angel).

"Thank you, Pumpkin," cooed Kurt, who whirled them over to the change lounge and plopped them down. "The gang's all here." It took less than a second for Kurt to realize his statement wasn't exactly correct. "Well… almost."

Try as he might, there was no way Kurt could have forgotten about Sebastian, and in all honesty, he didn't want to act like he didn't exist. Sebastian might no longer be a part of his world, but he was still a large part of him, even after all of this time.

But that still didn't mean that Kurt was ready to face him, or admit how much he missed him. At first it was easier for Kurt to ignore the aching void Sebastian had left in his heart. But as the years went by and the men in his life had come and eventually gone, it was becoming more difficult. After eight years in the industry, Kurt was beginning to want more than his fast-paced life in the spotlight. He wanted something more, something special, or rather, someone special who he could love and who would love him in return.

His attempts to find that man so far hadn't gone so well though. Out of the many relationships Kurt had formed, only three had gotten serious and of those the longest had ended after a year. Not the best track record, but then, considering how stressful Kurt's demanding job as a model could be, he was amazed any of his exes had stuck around at all. Of course, his relationships not going the distance wasn't solely his fault (far from it actually) but that was another whole can of worms.

"Seb's super busy with the show anyway," Puck said, acting as if he and Kurt weren't still avoiding one another like the plague.

Just because they hadn't seen or spoken to each other in eight years didn't mean that Kurt knew nothing about Sebastian's life. It had started out innocently enough when two months into their breakup, Kurt, who had originally forbidden anyone from even mentioning Sebastian's name, had casually asked his friends how he was doing in school. That first little question had slowly grown to Kurt getting regular little updates from Unique, Sugar and Puck, to doing google searches once Sebastian had started making a name for himself in the designing industry.

The only consolation Kurt had was knowing (thanks to Puck) that Sebastian was more or less doing the same thing with him. Though learning this had created its own set of problem, as in Kurt's ever present curiosity about Sebastian and whom he might be dating. That being said, Kurt wisely kept himself away from any personal information about Sebastian; not that he could have learned much if he had looked. Sebastian, as it turned out, was very private when it came to his love life. Kurt knew the feeling; he was still amazed that the press had never found about Sebastian's romantic link to Kurt Hummel the fashion model.

But Kurt would have to have been living under a rock not to know about the hottest new musical to hit Broady as of late. 'Rich and Fabulous' was all about beautifully dressed people in high society and their struggles with love, money and securing their social status. It was practically tailor made for Sebastian's style, so much that Kurt often wondered if the show had been created with him in mind.

"Speaking of shows, when is your movie coming out again, Angel?" Sugar asked.

Kurt smiled. "It's not my movie, Sugar. I'm not the star or anything; my role is a supporting one." The film was also an indie, though it had already been signed on to Sundance, which was exciting. Kurt was really looking forward to what kind of feedback it would get, but whatever the turnout, Kurt had enjoyed filming it. And who wouldn't enjoy a chance to pretend to be a hotshot law intern with big dreams, fabulous designer clothes, a quick fire smart mouth?

"Yes, but you're the one everyone's buzzing about." Sugar sat down in between Kurt and Erica, who was trying watch both adults intently, though her interest was clearly an act, judging by how she had already begun to fidget.

What had started with a simple guest spot in a popular drama series had led to Kurt catching the acting bug. The performer in him had awoken with that first gig and warm reception that had followed had landed him countless roles. It had been hard for Kurt to balance between modelling and acting: fashion would always be his first love, so he had no plans to give it up, but for the past two years Kurt had split his time between both careers.

Unique began handing out drinks to everyone, including Erica, who contently sipped her chocolate milk out of a swirly straw. None of their beverages were alcoholic, as it was a family event, but Kurt didn't mind. The days of getting full-on drunk (which had rarely happened) were long gone, and all Kurt wanted to do was spend some quality time catching up with three of his favourite people.

After opening up his gifts, Kurt had spent the next hour socializing and chasing Erica around the room until she was completely worn out. With her soundly sleeping on the chaise lounge, the adults moved themselves to the other side of the room to continue chatting.

Leaning back in his chair, Kurt listened to his friends as they filled each other in about their busy lives. Unsurprisingly, he wasn't the only one in the studio with a lot going on: in addition to still performing with his band, Puck had his own successful online clothing store that sold t-shirts with his 'far-out' designs; Sugar had graduated from being her aunt's assistant to a valued partner who had her own 'Sugar' line within the Bellalise brand; and when Unique wasn't running 'Unique Fit' (her high in demand clothing line for all sizes and genders) she was lending her beautiful voice either here at the bar or for various LGBT events.

How they managed to balance between their successful careers and their happy marriages still baffled Kurt, who was happy for them, but also quite envious.

"Will Ryder be joining us at all tonight?" Kurt asked Unique.

Unique smiled at the mention of her husband of five years. "He's planning to stop by as soon as he's finished with work." She looked at her phone to check the time. "Which should be pretty soon."

As if on cue, the doorbell rang.

"That's probably him now," Kurt said, smiling at the funny coincidence.

But Unique's frown of confusion seemed to say otherwise. "No, it's not him. He just texted me to say he'll be another forty minutes at least."

That made no sense at all. Because as far as Kurt knew, no one else was coming tonight; the only other people who had been invited were Elliott, who was out of the country, and Blaine, who was off visiting the in-laws. So unless it was a was customer who had ignored the two 'closed' signs, Kurt had no idea. Unless… Kurt felt his neck close up as he gulped the rising catch in his throat. No, it couldn't be. There was just no way _he_ would be here. He couldn't be. Puck had said it himself. He was too busy with his show to come all the way back to Chicago.

Kurt's hands tightly clenched his chair as he kept telling himself the many reasons why it wouldn't be Sebastian at the door. And yet, despite the convincing evidence, Kurt couldn't stop his heart from racing. He was both excited and terrified at the same time. It amazed him that he wasn't panicking more actually. It wasn't too long ago that just the idea of seeing Sebastian would have sent him running.

The doorbell rang again and Puck rose from his chair, casually walking over to the front door to see who it was. "We're gonna need a bigger sign," he muttered.

Kurt held his breath, trying his best to remain calm as he anxiously watched Puck head to the door. Upon opening it Puck's neutral expression changed into an amused grin which put Kurt instantly on edge.

"Delivery for the birthday boy!" Puck called out in a musical voice as he turned back to look right at him.

Now Kurt really had a reason to be worried, because a smirk that big (with a hint of smugness but not in a conceited way) could only mean one of two things: either Sebastian had sent him something, or the man himself was standing there at the door.

"Who's it from?" Kurt demanded, refusing to budge until he knew which scenario it was.

Puck shrugged. "Dunno. You're gonna have to come and find out for yourself."

_'I was afraid of that,'_ Kurt thought with a sigh. But Puck did have a point, so Kurt forced himself to rise from his chair. His pace towards the front door was slow, forcing himself every step of the way. _'And this is why I don't like surprises.'_ The anticipation was killing him. The only satisfaction he could look forward to if Sebastian truly was in the door was him having to deal with Kurt passing out when he finally got there.

"You seriously need to chill down, bro," Puck said, shaking his head at the spectacle Kurt was putting on.

"Try telling that to my racing heart." Kurt braced himself as he made it to the door, only to discover that it wasn't Sebastian at all but an inconspicuous looking delivery man holding an equally innocent looking package in his hands.

Flushed with embarrassment, Kurt ignored the fact that he was blushing and addressed the man, who smiled at him politely.

"I have a package here for Kurt Hummel," he announced, holding out a digital device for Kurt to sign.

Kurt sheepishly muttered his thanks as he took the package and the man left before he even had a chance to offer him a tip. The package felt light in his hands. He didn't need to check the sender information to confirm their identity. This whole stunt reeked of Sebastian, who loved stirring up trouble-almost as much as he loved giving surprises-regardless of whether he was even there to see it or not.

But why had Sebastian waited this long to send something to Kurt? There wasn't anything significant about today; it was just another birthday-the eighth one that had gone by since they had broken up. It made him wish he had sent that bouquet of flowers to Sebastian on the opening night of 'Rich and Fabulous' instead of chickening out literally at the last second (he'd had to call and cancel the online order).

"What is it?" asked Sugar, who was wide eyed and bubbling with excitement.

"Better yet, who is it from?" Unique added from beside her.

Puck grinned as he closed the door. "Who else could it be but from Seb." He leaned over to glance at the package Kurt had in his hands. "No sender info, but that only confirms it more."

The box was about the size of an envelope, only deeper and had a lid on top. A dark purple ribbon painted with tiny butterflies (yep, it was from Sebastian all right) was tied around the box to hold it shut.

"After all this time?" Unique shook her head. "What is that boy thinking."

Kurt was wondering the exact same thing. Hundreds of theories were whirling around in his brain, each more outlandish than the next. Some of which included musical numbers, other tearful confessions, and some were so far fetched Kurt tossed them aside the second they popped into his head. It wouldn't do him any good to just stand there and waste time thinking about what he had sent Kurt.

"Maybe we'll know once I open this box." Or not. The last time Sebastian had sent Kurt a gift (as in the key to the storage unit) he hadn't been very forthcoming about his feelings.

Nevertheless, Kurt undid the ribbon, and lifted the lid from the box. Inside was an envelope with the words 'To Kurt' written in stylized calligraphy. Hardly revealing, but then, this was Sebastian, so it was almost to be expected. With a shrug, Kurt handed the box to Puck to hold so he could open up the envelope.

"I'm so nervous," Sugar said from beside him; they were all clustered around Kurt in an anxious circle.

Kurt undid the back of the envelope, and pulled out the content within. He had barely laid eyes on the mystery item before he let out a loud gasp. "Are you fucking kidding me!" Kurt shouted. "I can't believe he-" In fact, he had to stop to look again just to be sure, but there was no denying it. "He's sent me a ticket to 'Rich and Fabulous!' Front row!"

"No way! Those are impossible to get right now!" Sugar exclaimed in an excited half whisper.

Unique added, "Not to mention freakishly expensive."

Puck, Unique and Sugar closed in on Kurt, who held the ticket out for them to inspect. A hushed silence fell over the group as they stared at Sebastian's gift. Kurt didn't even want to know how in the world Sebastian had gotten his hands on a front row ticket.

"I guess it pays to know the costume designer, or in Kurt's case, be their old flame." Puck slapped Kurt on the shoulder. "You play your cards right bro, and you could get VIP treatment complete with a backstage pass."

Why did Kurt get the feeling that Puck's double entendre was completely intentional? Maybe it was the way he was playfully smirking at him now, or the little twinkle in his eyes. Out of all of his friends, Puck was the best at slyly slipping Sebastian info into their conversations. When Kurt had finally asked him why that was (last year over the phone shortly after Kurt's birthday) Puck had nonchalantly explained that he was still rooting for them.

"Notice how he only sent one ticket," Unique pointed out.

Kurt doubled checked inside the envelope to confirm this; nope, no second ticket, or a message of any kind-not even a playful footnote-just one lonely ticket. But what Sebastian could be trying to tell him with the single gesture could mean so much.

"What do you think it means?" The stakes were far too high for Kurt to go on his gut feeling alone-especially when all it was doing right now was tying up in knots.

"What do you want it to mean?" Puck countered.

The question took Kurt by complete surprise. "I don't know…" he whispered, backing away from them. He seriously needed a drink right now, and the added need to remain quiet (Erica was still sound asleep) would work in his favour as well. Once he was safely behind the bar, Kurt set to fixing himself a strong drink. His usual fruity cocktails wouldn't do right now; this called for something much stronger. _'Time to break out the scotch.' _

Kurt slowly sipped at his drink in silence, ignoring the harsh burning aftertaste as his friends gathered around him on the other side of the bar.

"Lately..." Kurt began in a soft voice; fuck this was hard to admit aloud! "My thoughts have been drifting to Sebastian whenever I find myself alone. It's been happening more and more frequently too, especially when I'm lying awake in bed. I've even dreamt about him a number of times."

He placed his now empty tumbler glass on the table; how many times had Kurt almost asked someone for Sebastian's new phone number. But in the end, fear had always won out, and Kurt was left to wonder what could have been if he'd just had the courage to act.

"I've tried to tell myself it's nothing, that I'm just feeling lonely… that the reason I'm not with anyone doesn't have anything to do with him…"

"But…" Sugar offered with a gentle smile, reaching out to touch his hand.

"But what if it does." Kurt let his walls down, sighing deeply from the effort. "What if Sebastian misses me as much as I miss him? What if the reason neither of us has found anyone is because we're meant to be together." There was one question that outweighed the others though, one that Kurt had to force out with all of his might. "What if I'm too late though. It's been so long… I mean, we haven't spoken to one each other in eight years."

Unique slid the ticket Kurt had let go of onto the table in front of him. "If you want my opinion Angel, him sending you this is a good sign."

"Definitely," Sugar said, nodding in agreement. "He only sent you one ticket Angel; that has to mean something."

Puck tapped his finger on Kurt's butterfly ring from Sebastian that he still wore on his right ring finger. "You know you'd regret it if you don't go, Kurt."

His friends were right. It was time for him to stop running from his feelings and face Sebastian and what could be in store for them. Kurt picked up the ticket to 'Rich and Fabulous' to see when he would be going to New York, which ended up being in two weeks time.

'_Until then I guess.'_ Kurt thought with a hopeful smile.

Rich and Fabulous was supposed to be a comedy, but Kurt knew he was probably going to cry.

The End… _for now._

Notes:

Right from the start I've been super anxious about how should I end Welcome to Paradise. For those of you who aren't familiar with the manga (Paradise Kiss) that the story is based on. The two lead characters don't end up together in the end. At the beginning, I wasn't sure how I would end Paradise. I was worried if they didn't get together it wouldn't sit well with the readers. I wanted to keep the heart of Paradise Kiss still though as much as possible. But having Kurt end up with someone else didn't feel right to me. As the story went on, I realise the ending in the manga didn't fit the versions of Kurt and Sebastian I had created. So as I neared the last few chapters, I finally came up with how it would end.

This epilogue is the end result. Where a open door is left. And if you couldn't guess from the little 'for now' teaser. Yes, there is a sequel in the works. Sebastian and Kurt's story isn't over yet. As of right now, there will a bit of a wait with the sequel though. I want to focus on some of my other stories first. But I'm fully willing to admit that hearing how people want to read the sequel will really help me to inspire writing it. So if you want to read about what happens next, please tell me!

Thanks so much for reading!


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